Saudi Pro League has taken Asian Football to the next level. With the signings of global star players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, etc, the Saudi league is getting worldwide attention. And it all started with Ronaldo’s bold decision of leaving Europe to join Al Nassr. Now, the Riyadh-based club is on the verge of qualifying for the AFC Champions League, and with this Portuguese superstar can play all around Asia. Al Nassr vs Mumbai City FC match is also a possibility ahead of the ACL group draw. Here, you will get to know how Cristiano Ronaldo can play in India.
How Al Nassr vs Mumbai City FC match will become a reality?
Mumbai City FC has already qualified for the AFC Champions League 2023-24. They have been drawn in Pot 3 of the West Zone. If Al Nassr wins the playoffs, they will qualify for the ACL and will end up in Pot 4. In the West Zone, there are a total of four pots consisting 5 teams each. During, the group draw which is scheduled to take place on August 24, these 20 teams will form 5 groups of 4 teams each.
A Pot 3 team will be matched with a Pot 4 team as part of the draw. So there is a possibility of Mumbai City FC and Al Nassr being drawn into the same group. If this happens, then both clubs will play in the home-away format, which means Mumbai City FC will travel to Riyadh, and then Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will come to India to play their away game.
Even if they don’t meet in the group stage, there’s still a chance for both teams to meet in a later part of the tournament if they both make it through. Mumbai City FC has only participated in the tournament once before, in the 2021-22 season. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it past the group stage at that time.
Cristiano Ronaldo in India: A dream that might come true
Cristiano Ronaldo is well aware of his fan following in India. In an interaction with Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor, the 38-year-old footballer had told that he would love to come to India someday. To date, Ronaldo has never been to India.
If the Portugal superstar makes it to Mumbai then it will be a major boost for Indian football. The Mumbai City FC vs Al Nassr match will garner a massive attention and viewership in India.