By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Cristiano Ronaldo will have a final shot at Asian Champions League glory when the continent’s elite club competition kicks off on Monday, with heavily funded Saudi Arabian sides poised to dominate the tournament.
The 41-year-old former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus legend previously revealed in August that this current campaign would probably be his last year in football.
Despite boasting a trophy-laden career that includes five UEFA Champions League titles, the Asian Champions League trophy has continued to elude the Portuguese star and five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo’s Al Nassr side enter their latest continental campaign under former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, who was relieved of his duties at Spurs in June 2025 despite guiding them to Europa League success.
To bolster their charge, the Riyadh-based club features an array of top international talent alongside Ronaldo, including Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, and Joao Felix.
Al Nassr currently sit second in the Saudi Pro League standings after six matches, trailing leaders Al Hilal only on goal difference, with team skipper Ronaldo finding the net three times in five league appearances.
However, Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal pose a stern challenge to Al Nassr’s continental ambitions.
Al Hilal went on a spending spree during the recent transfer window, acquiring Aston Villa’s England striker Ollie Watkins and Arsenal’s Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli for a combined fee of $150 million.
The structure of the Asian Champions League heavily favours Saudi Arabian clubs, a country making massive investments in football ahead of hosting the 2034 World Cup.
Rebranded as the Champions League Elite since the 2024-2025 season, the competition hosts its quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final at a centralized venue within Saudi Arabia.
Reigning champions Al Ahli previously capitalized on home advantage to capture the trophy in both 2025 and 2026.
In April’s final on home turf in Jeddah, an Al Ahli team featuring England forward Ivan Toney edged out Japan’s Machida Zelvia 1-0 in extra time.
For this year’s 32-team edition, Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Hilal are joined by fellow Saudi sides Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah, bringing the Kingdom’s representation to five teams.
The tournament remains divided equally into East and West leagues, where each participant plays four matches at home and four away.
The primary opposition to Saudi dominance is expected from Japan, whose representatives have advanced to the final in each of the past four editions.
Five J.League clubs are competing in this edition, led by reigning domestic champions Kashima Antlers.
Former Kashima star Yasushi Endo conceded that overcoming the financial leverage of the West region’s clubs will be a steep mountain to climb for East Asian teams.
“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,” Endo said.
“With the tournament being played in a centralised format in the West, it also makes things extra difficult,” he added.
“We cannot underplay the importance of having large fan support,” he noted.
