Ronaldo aims for Asian Champions League glory as Saudi clubs dominate

Cristiano Ronaldo is set for one last chance to win the Asian Champions League. The tournament kicks off on Monday, with Saudi teams looking strong.

The 41-year-old former star of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus stated in August that it might be “probably my last year in football.”

Ronaldo has almost won everything in his club career, including five UEFA Champions League titles. But he has yet to lift the Asian Champions League trophy.

His team, Al Nassr, starts this continental campaign with a new coach, Ange Postecoglou. He was the former Tottenham manager and lost his job in June 2025, despite winning the Europa League with Spurs.

Al Nassr boasts international talent alongside Ronaldo, including Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, and Joao Felix, who is also Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate. They are currently second in the Saudi Pro League after six matches, just behind Al Hilal on goal difference.

Ronaldo, the captain, has shown great form, scoring three goals in five league matches. Al Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, stands as a major challenge for Ronaldo in his quest to win the AFC Champions League for the first time.

Al Hilal has been active in the transfer market, signing England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa and Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal for a total of $150 million.

The Asian Champions League format heavily favours Saudi clubs, who are spending big on football and will host the 2034 World Cup. Since the 2024-2025 season, the tournament has been rebranded as the Champions League Elite. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals now take place in a single location in Saudi Arabia.

Al Ahli took advantage of this by winning the title in 2025 and 2026. They had England’s Ivan Toney in attack and defeated Japan’s Machida Zelvia 1-0 in extra time during the final held in Jeddah.

This year, Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Hilal will be joined by Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah. This means five Saudi teams will compete among the 32 teams.

As in recent years, the tournament is split into East and West leagues. Each team will play four matches at home and four away.

Japan poses the biggest threat to Saudi dominance. Teams from Japan have reached the final in each of the last four editions. There are five teams from the J. League, with reigning champions Kashima Antlers being the most notable.

Yasushi Endo, a former Kashima player, acknowledged the challenge posed by Saudi teams. He said, “It’s difficult for Japanese teams to be champions these days given the financial strength of teams in the West who can invest heavily in players that traditionally play in strong European leagues.”

He added, “With the tournament being played in a centralised format in the West, it also makes things extra difficult. We cannot underplay the importance of having large fan support.”