Ronaldo’s availability still unclear as FC Goa face Al Nassr in AFC Champions League Two

Riyadh: FC Goa will face a challenging task as they look to carry their impressive domestic form into the international arena when they take on Saudi powerhouse Al Nassr in a crucial AFC Champions League Two Group D clash on Wednesday.

Group D leaders Al Nassr have yet to confirm whether their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, will feature in the match. In the first leg, which saw them secure a 2-1 victory over FC Goa in Goa last month, Ronaldo was notably absent, with the team management citing a "rest" for the Portuguese legend.

This decision disappointed Indian football fans, especially after Ronaldo opted out of the October 22 away fixture for FC Goa due to a clause that allows him to skip certain away matches at his discretion.

Despite missing the group stage games, including the September 17 home match against FC Istiklol of Tajikistan, Ronaldo has been active and in form in the Saudi Pro League, scoring twice—including a penalty—in a 2-1 win over Al Fayha this past Saturday.

On the other hand, FC Goa enters the fixture with renewed confidence, having produced solid performances in the 2025 Super Cup. A convincing 2-0 win over Jamshedpur FC, followed by a dominant 3-0 triumph against Inter Kashi, has propelled the Gaurs to the Super Cup semi-finals and strengthened their morale.

This match represents a key opportunity for coach Manolo Marquez’s side to carry their domestic momentum onto the continental stage. Although their results in the AFC Champions League Two have yet to yield points, FC Goa has shown promise in every game, creating chances and displaying resilience.

The Gaurs will draw inspiration from their previous encounter with Al Nassr, where they made history by scoring India’s first-ever goal in the AFC Champions League Two group stage. With confidence growing and rhythm returning, they will now aim to turn those performances into a significant result against one of Asia’s top teams.

Al Nassr, meanwhile, arrive for this match following a tumultuous week in domestic football. The Riyadh giants were eliminated from the King’s Cup after a loss to Al Ittihad, and barely scraped past Al Fayha in their latest league match with a last-minute penalty.

Despite these setbacks, Al Nassr, the Saudi Pro League leaders, remain a formidable side, with an abundance of quality players across the field.

Under the floodlights at Riyadh’s Al Awwal Park, FC Goa will look to combine discipline with ambition as they seek a positive result that could reinvigorate their campaign and mark a key moment in their journey on the continental stage.

With their confidence high and rhythm restored after a busy domestic schedule, the Gaurs are ready to test themselves once again against one of Asia’s most star-studded teams.

Ahead of the match, FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez shared his thoughts: “It's an honour for us to play these kinds of games, not only for the players, but for all FC Goa fans and for Indian football as a whole. These are moments everyone will remember for a long time. But we're not here just to admire the stadium or the occasion; we're here to compete in the best possible way against a big team like Al Nassr. We’ve earned this opportunity through a lot of hard work, last season and in the early part of this one.”