Overview
- Al Nassr reached Goa without Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the October 22 AFC Champions League 2 group match at Fatorda Stadium.
- Arrival videos shared by FC Goa showed Sadio Mané, Kingsley Coman and João Félix moving through the airport without their captain.
- Saudi outlet Al Riyadhiah reported that Ronaldo chose not to travel to manage his workload and that his contract permits him to decline matches outside Saudi Arabia.
- The club has not issued a detailed public explanation, and Ronaldo has yet to feature in Al Nassr’s ACL2 campaign this season.
- Al Nassr lead their group after two wins without Ronaldo, as Goa officials and fans expressed disappointment and separate coverage noted Lionel Messi’s planned India visit in December.