Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not playing today for Al Nassr vs Istiklol in AFC Champions League Two?

Al Nassr make their debut in the AFC Champions League Two against Istiklol, but Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the squad.

This Wednesday, Al Nassr begin their campaign in the AFC Champions League Two with a home match against Istiklol of Tajikistan. Despite the significance of the fixture, Cristiano Ronaldo — the team’s biggest star — will not be in the starting lineup.

Ronaldo was left out of the squad by head coach Jorge Jesus for this opening continental match of the season. While there has been no official announcement, a report from Al-Riyadiyah suggests that the Portuguese forward has been given a rest.

So far in the 2025–26 season, Cristiano has appeared in four matches for Al Nassr — two in the Saudi Super Cup, including the final loss to Al Ahli, and two in the opening rounds of the Saudi Pro League. His most recent outing came this past Sunday in a 2–0 win over Al Kholood, where he played the full 90 minutes.

How will Al Nassr play without Cristiano Ronaldo?

Since his arrival in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022, Ronaldo has been a fixture in Al Nassr’s lineup. So, on the rare occasions he’s unavailable, it opens the door for attacking options that don’t typically get a chance.

Cristiano’s role at center forward will be filled by Haroune Camara, the Saudi striker who joined Al Nassr just days ago from Al Shabab and has yet to make his official debut. In fact, he was on the bench this past Sunday against Al Kholood but didn’t see any minutes.

Al Nassr’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s match against Istiklol is: Bento; Sultan Al-Ghannam, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Iñigo Martinez, Saad Al-Nassr; Abdullah Al-Khaibary, Angelo; Joao Felix, Wesley, Abdulrahman Ghareeb; Haroune Camara.

What’s next for Al Nassr

The match against Istiklol is the first of six group-stage fixtures for Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Two. They’ll need to finish among the top two teams in Group D — which also includes Al-Zawraa of Iraq and Goa of India — in order to advance to the Round of 16.

However, before turning their full attention to continental competition, they’ll face important challenges in two other tournaments. Cristiano Ronaldo’s team will play this Saturday in the Saudi Pro League against Al-Riyadh, then make their debut in the King Cup of Champions against Jeddah on Tuesday, September 23. Just three days later, they’ll face a tough league matchup against Al Ittihad.