Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr will play in India, in what is being called the biggest match in the history of Indian club football.
Ever since the draw for this year’s Asian Champions League 2 (ACL 2), Indian football has been buzzing with excitement. If everything goes as planned, Cristiano Ronaldo will make his debut in Indian football through this tournament!
Al-Nassr did not qualify for the top-tier AFC Champions League Elite this year. The Saudi club will instead compete in the second-tier tournament, ACL 2, previously known as the AFC Cup.
In this tournament, Al-Nassr has been drawn alongside Indian Super League side FC Goa. The draw took place on Friday. In Group D, the two clubs will face Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol and Iraq’s SC Al-Jaawra.
It’s not just the group itself that’s exciting—Al-Nassr is the main attraction of the tournament, and much of that is because of Ronaldo. The squad also features stars like Sadio Mané, João Félix, and Iñigo Martínez, but Ronaldo’s appeal is on another level.
Speaking to the press after the draw, FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur expressed the excitement:
“For FC Goa, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Hosting a match with Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo can arguably be called the biggest match in the history of Indian club football.”
According to Puskur, this is also a major opportunity for Indian football to showcase itself on a larger stage:
“This is historic for Indian football. We’ve reached this position on merit, and matches like this give us the chance to demonstrate that we can compete at the continental level and be part of the broader sporting narrative.”
He added that it’s an opportunity to bring Indian football into the global spotlight:
“This is a unique chance to put Indian football at the center of global attention. Most importantly, it sparks greater interest in football among sports fans across the country and brings football into the spotlight—a need that has existed for a long time.”
This draw and the opportunity to play against Ronaldo’s team come at a challenging time for Indian football. The new Indian Super League season is scheduled to begin next month, but negotiations with commercial partners have temporarily delayed the league.
Even so, Puskur believes that facing Ronaldo’s team is a huge step forward for the club:
“While the financial impact is important, looking at the bigger picture, this is a long-term opportunity to build ourselves. Global attention, sponsor interest, and fan engagement—all of these elements will strengthen the club internally and create avenues for future investment.”
Although the tournament draw has been completed, the match schedule is yet to be finalized.
