After the letdown in last year’s quarter-finals, Al-Nassr is back to launch their AFC Champions League 2024-25 journey. The Saudi team is set to face Al-Shorta in the opening match of the AFC Champions League Elite in Iraq. However, a notable absence, one you rarely see miss a lot of matches has raised eyebrows—Cristiano Ronaldo.

Not only has the 39-year-old been excluded from the bench, but he also did not make the trip with his teammates to Iraq for support. Is there an injury concern? This question commonly arises during his absences, yet this time it appears that isn’t the issue at hand. However, it does not imply he is completely fit.

Prior to the game, Al-Nassr announced that Cristiano Ronaldo had been diagnosed with a viral infection on Sunday. In their message on X, they stated, “Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo was not feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection.” 

The unfortunate update continued, “The team’s doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at home. As a result, he will not be traveling with the team to Iraq today. We wish our captain a speedy recovery.” With their star forward unavailable, Anderson Talisca stepped into his position on the field in an atypical role.

Cristiano Ronaldo recently returned from representing his country in the Nations League, where he achieved the remarkable milestone of 900 career goals. On September 13, he rejoined club play with Al-Nassr as they took on Al-Ahli. Assuming there are no issues with his recovery, CR7 is expected to participate in Al-Nassr’s upcoming match against Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.

Following that, a crucial game awaits him—the King Cup of Champions Round 32 showdown against Al-Hazm. With his impressive tally now at 900 goals, Ronaldo is eager to hit the ground running and set his sights on reaching the unparalleled milestone of 1000 goals. While Cristiano Ronaldo continues creating new records, his old one seems to be in danger. The latest challenger to his longstanding mark is none other than Manchester City ace, Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland set to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s record

There’s no denying that since joining Manchester City, Erling Haaland has proven to be a formidable force. The impressive Norwegian striker has made breaking records seem effortless with his stellar performance. Now he is on the verge of surpassing an accolade previously held by one of the greats of the game.

Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for being the quickest player to reach 100 goals for a club. The legendary striker accomplished this remarkable feat during his time with Real Madrid in just 105 matches.

Impressive, right? Equally notable is Erling Haaland, who has netted 99 goals in 103 appearances so far. With just one more match needed for him to solidify his name in soccer history, all eyes are on him. However, facing off against Inter—who were also their opponents in the Champions League final last season—won’t be straightforward. This upcoming match promises plenty of drama and anticipation and will undoubtedly be exciting to watch.