Cristiano Ronaldo edges closer to first major glory with Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to lift his first major trophy with Al Nassr club since joining the Saudi Arabian side in 2023.

The Riyadh based side are in the final eight of the AFC Champions League Elite as the Asian competition sees this new Final 8 format in a single venue (in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia) being implemented starting this weekend.

Three Saudi sides have advanced to this stage of the competition with Al Ahli having ‘home advantage’. They, along with Al Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr are the three hotly tipped teams to lift the trophy on May 3.

Incidentally, the winner of this competition will be the first team to qualify for the 2029 Club World Cup, even before the first edition is played in the United States (between June 14 and July 13) this summer.

The Asian Champions League has long been Cristiano Ronaldo’s number one goal as it’s the other Champions League he’s missing, after the five he secured in Europe. The title is huge priority for the Portuguese star and for the Riyadh club, who are aiming for their first continental title after finishing runners-up in 1996. A win would be CR7’s first major success in Saudi Arabia. His greatest achievement since arriving in Arabian soil in January 2023.

Al Nassr will face Yokohama Marinos (Japan) at the quarter-final stage with the J-League side a traditional Asian powerhouse and who finished first in the group stage, although they are struggling in the domestic Japanese league, currently propping up the table.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Laporte, Brozovic, Mané and Durán are not the only candidates for the title. Al Ahli, with Gabri Veiga, Firmino, Toney and Mahrez in their ranks, are the main dark horse to win. Al Hilal, despite being in a slump are are also hotly tipped. Al Sadd of Qatar with Spaniard Félix Sánchez on the bench and Cristo and Rafa Mujica in their ranks, Gwangju of South Korea; Kawasaki Frontale of Japan and Buriram of Thailand are the other contenders who stand in the way of Cristiano Ronaldo becoming the king of Asia.

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