September 11, 2026, 2:49 AM
Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for what could be his final attempt to win Asian club football’s biggest prize as Al-Nassr begin their AFC Champions League Elite campaign. The 41-year-old said in August that this would “probably” be his final year in football, adding further significance to a season in which he remains central to Al-Nassr’s ambitions at home and abroad.
Ronaldo enters the tournament in productive form after scoring his 979th official career goal in Al-Nassr’s 2–1 Saudi Pro League win over Abha at Al-Awwal Park. The Portuguese forward opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, powering Ângelo Gabriel’s corner in off the post, before Abdullah Al-Hamdan added the decisive second goal. It was Ronaldo’s third league goal in five appearances this season and his 132nd for Al-Nassr.
The goal left Ronaldo 21 short of the 1,000-goal landmark in senior competitive football. His pursuit of that milestone will run alongside Al-Nassr’s attempt to win the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time, with the club among the Saudi Pro League sides expected to challenge strongly in the competition.
Saudi clubs have become increasingly influential since the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite for the 2024–25 season. The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are held in a centralised format in Saudi Arabia, providing domestic sides with a potential late-stage advantage. Al-Ahli have made the most of that setting, winning the title in both 2025 and 2026.
Al-Ahli retained the trophy in April by defeating Japan’s Machida Zelvia 1–0 after extra time in Jeddah. The decisive goal came from Firas Al-Buraikan in the 96th minute, not Ivan Toney, after Al-Ahli had played with 10 men for almost an hour following Zakaria Al-Hawsawi’s red card.
For Al-Nassr, the new campaign follows the disappointment of last season’s AFC Champions League Two final. Gamba Osaka won 1–0 at King Saud University Stadium, with Deniz Hümmet scoring the only goal in the 30th minute. Ronaldo, João Félix and Sadio Mané all had opportunities, but the Saudi side could not find an equaliser.
The defeat sharpened Al-Nassr’s determination to compete for every available honour. With Ronaldo, João Félix, Mané and a deep supporting cast, the Riyadh club will target the Saudi Pro League, domestic cup competitions and continental success. The Champions League Elite offers Ronaldo the chance to add the leading Asian club trophy to a career that already includes five UEFA Champions League titles.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli will also be among the Saudi contenders as the tournament begins. Yet for Ronaldo, the campaign carries a particular sense of occasion: potentially his final season, a continuing chase for 1,000 career goals, and one last opportunity to lead Al-Nassr to the summit of Asian football.
