Ronaldo's Al-Nassr return to AFC Champions League Elite with away trip to Al Ain

Back among the elite

Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, began a new AFC Champions League Elite campaign on Tuesday, travelling to the United Arab Emirates to face Al Ain at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium. Kick-off was set for 8pm local time (7pm Saudi Arabia time). Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the Elite competition last season and instead competed in the second-tier AFC Champions League Two, where they lost the final to Japan's Gamba Osaka. Their route back to the top tier came through winning the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League, ending a seven-year wait for the domestic title, sealed with a 4-1 win over Damac on the final day in which Ronaldo scored twice. Following the title, manager Jorge Jesus departed and was replaced by Ange Postecoglou on a two-year contract.

A familiar foe

Al Ain is no random opponent — the same club eliminated Al-Nassr on penalties in the 2023-24 quarterfinals. The UAE side arrived having completed a domestic double without losing a single league match, making it, as the Times of India noted, a serious early test rather than a gentle opener. Al Ain's attack is led by Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi. According to Voice of Emirates, Al-Nassr's predicted lineup features Ronaldo alongside Sadio Mané and João Félix up front, while Al Ain were also expected to field Rahimi's brother, El-Houcine.

An expanded format

This is the first season under the competition's expansion from 24 to 32 clubs, split into East and West regions of 16 teams each. Every club plays eight league-phase matches — four home, four away — against eight different opponents in a single table. The top eight from each region advance to a two-legged round of 16, scheduled for March 1-17, 2027. From the quarterfinals onward, the tournament moves to a centralized finals event in Saudi Arabia, running from April 23 to May 1, 2027, when the final will be played.

Ronaldo's record and the prize money

Across his previous two Elite campaigns, Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 16 appearances, including eight goals in eight matches in 2024-25, when Al-Nassr were eliminated in the semifinals by Kawasaki Frontale. According to World Soccer Talk, this season carries a record prize pool for Asian club football of $50.5 million. Clubs earn $50,000 per win and $10,000 per draw in the league phase, while the eventual champion can collect up to $4 million cumulatively and the runner-up $2 million.