Seoul, Sep 10: What could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance to win a first Asian Champions League title for his Saudi club will get underway next week.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is one of five Saudi Pro League teams in the tournament. Combined, they’ve spent more than $2 billion on foreign players since 2023, with Al-Ahli lifting the continental trophy in each of the last two seasons.
Al-Ahli captain and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is hoping to make it three in a row in the 32-team tournament.
“This is the biggest club in Saudi Arabia and Asia and we will do everything to win,” Mendy, who signed from English Premier League club Chelsea in 2023, told The Associated Press. “Last year, we won the Champions League and we will have to use all the things we did then to be successful this time, too. We are building year after year.”
One competition, two zones
The tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the playoffs, with the top eight teams from each progressing to the Round of 16.
Al-Ahli starts its defense against Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in the in the western zone. Saudi league champion Al-Nassr’s roster contains 41-year-old Ronaldo and his Portugal teammate Joao Felix, last year’s domestic league player of the season. Al-Nassr was a finalist in the second-tier continental championship last season.
Felix, who joined the Riyadh club in 2025 for a fee of around $60 million, is determined to win a major title under new coach Ange Postecoglou.
“We have a really good squad, a deep squad, our goal is to win every competition we can,” Felix told AP. “We want to win the league, the cup and the Champions League – everything. We don’t play to dream — we play to win.”
Riyadh rival Al-Hilal has won a record four Asian titles. After spending more than $200 million in the summer on English Premier League stars and three internationals — Ollie Watkins of England, Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli and Crysencio Summerville of the Netherlands — Hilal will be dealing with high expectations.
Al-Ittihad, winner in 2004 and 2005, is aiming for a third continental crown. Al-Qadsiah, under former Liverpool and Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, is making a first appearance in the competition.
The Saudi teams have avoided Iran’s two representatives — Esteghlal of Tehran and Tractor — in the group stage.
With tension high due to war in the region, the Iranian clubs are set to host home games in neutral countries. Esteghlal will host Al-Sadd of Qatar in the Iraqi city of Basra in the opening round. Tractor will travel to the United Arab Emirates to face Shabab Al-Ahli in Dubai.
Eastern zone contenders
Clubs from Japan have lost the last two finals to Al-Ahli. And Japan, like Saudi Arabia, has five representatives in the tournament. Of them, only Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers have lifted the trophy before, in 2008 and 2018 respectively.
South Korea is the most successful nation in terms of combined Asian titles. South Korean hopes will rest with three-time champion Pohang Steelers and two-time winner Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors this season. Shanghai Port and Beijing Guoan are China’s representatives in the tournament. Thailand has three teams for the first time. Australia’s hopes rest on Newcastle Jets, making just a second appearance in the group stage. (AP)
