Could superstar Cristiano Ronaldo add AFC Champions League to massive list of accolades?

Former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward saw his first attempt with the Saudi side Al Nassr end in the quarter-finals

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Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to add the Asian Champions League to the staggering list of accolades collected throughout his career. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:34pm, 15 Sep 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to add an AFC Champions League crown to his long list of achievements when the continent’s top club competition kicks off on Monday.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward saw his first attempt with the Saudi side Al Nassr end in the quarter-finals.

Now rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite, Al Nassr and the other teams from Saudi Arabia will be a major threat after spending vast sums of money in the last two years on the likes of Ronaldo and Neymar.

England forward Ivan Toney was the latest big name to swap Europe for Saudi when he left Brentford for Al Ahli last month for more than US$45 million (HK$350 million).

As part of the revamp to the competition, Saudi Arabia, which is expected to host the 2034 World Cup, will stage a mini knockout tournament in the final stages to decide the overall winner. The champions will take home at least US$12 million.

Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli signed Ivan Toney from Brentford for $45 million last month. Photo: Reuters

Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Neymar’s Al Hilal will all be involved when the tournament starts, with a new format that splits 24 teams evenly into two groups of East and West.