Cristiano Ronaldo to start for Al Nassr against Neftchi Fergana in AFC Champions League Elite round 2
Cristiano Ronaldo will start for Al Nassr against FC Neftchi Fergana at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh in their round 2 fixture of the AFC Champions League Elite 2026-27, with the 41-year-old having trained with the first team ahead of the match on October 12, 2026.
FC Neftchi Fergana travel to Riyadh to face the Ange Postecoglou-led Al Nassr side in the second round of the competition. Al Nassr began their Asian campaign with a 0-4 defeat to Al Ain and will be seeking an immediate response. The team’s recent league form included a 3-? result against Al Diriyah in which they missed multiple chances to score, prompting calls for greater consistency.
In the Saudi Pro League fixture versus Al Diriyah, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Al Nassr and created the joint-most chances in the match, four. The report describes his performance in that game as a top display and notes his involvement in both goalscoring and chance creation for the club.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has strong scoring numbers in Asian competition this season, having netted eight goals in nine matches of the tournament so far. Those figures are cited as part of the case for his selection in the starting XI for the AFC Champions League Elite tie.
Projected attacking and midfield roles for Al Nassr include Ronaldo paired alongside Joao Felix up front, with Sadio Mane and Kingsley Coman expected to occupy the wide positions. Samu Costa and Abdullah Al Khaibari are named as the principal midfielders, while Mohamed Simakan and Inigo Martinez are outlined as the principal defenders required to deliver a sharper showing.
The club posted a training update reading "Getting set for another session ⬅️💛 pic.twitter.com/mL0d3wgM19," and the article states Ronaldo has been training hard with the first team. Khel Now reports he will likely start the match and elsewhere in the piece the conclusion is given: Yes, the 41-year-old will start for the Saudi Pro League champions.
Al Nassr enter the match aiming to register their first win in this season’s AFC Champions League Elite; the round 2 fixture against FC Neftchi Fergana at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh represents their next opportunity to do so.