Hours After FIFA’s Snub, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League Hopes Receive Massive Blow Due to Saudi Arabia’s Multi-Club Ownership

Cristiano Ronaldo is rightly dubbed ‘Mr.Champions League.’ The Portuguese forward’s five UCL titles and a showreel of scrumptious strikes stand testament to this. After delighting Europe for the better part of two decades, Ronaldo was keen to shine in Asian soccer’s apex continental competition. That might not happen as the Portuguese superstar may not be able to take the field in the AFC Champions League for a reason beyond his control.

Following their game against newly promoted Al Raed, Al Nassr was set to travel to Tehran for their first AFC Champions League match against Persepolis. Just hours after FIFA snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo, the 38-year-old’s AFC hopes are in jeopardy as the governing body faces a legal roadblock. This is due to the multi-club ownership in the Saudi Professional League.

A huge blow for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co

The Asian Football Confederation is under scrutiny for potentially disregarding its own regulations regarding multi-club ownership. This issue arises as three Saudi-backed clubs, namely Al Hilal, Al Nassr, and Al Ittihad, supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, have been allowed to participate in the tournament.

Just like UEFA’s rulebook, Asian clubs sharing the same owner are prohibited from entering the tournament if their ownership stake exceeds 30%. However, the Saudi PIF holds a substantial 75% stake in each of these three clubs.

In contrast, Manchester City’s owners, the City Football Group, possess a 65% ownership stake in Mumbai City and full ownership of Melbourne City, both of which are also competing in the tournament. Notably, the CFG-owned clubs fully comply with the relevant rules and criteria for this year’s competition.

There remains a slim chance of Melbourne and Mumbai facing off against each other, as the competition is divided into West and East zones. In contrast, all three PIF-owned clubs, along with SIP’s Al-Fayha, may face each other in the last 16. In light of these developments, the AFC is now facing demands from its member clubs to provide an explanation for disregarding its own regulations.

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As per the Guardian, clubs from the eastern region are looking to pursue legal action. This would come across as another setback for CR7, just days after FIFA snubbed him.

CR7 gets snubbed by FIFA

Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature in the Ballon d’Or nominations for the time since his first season at Old Trafford. Days later, he missed out on yet another prestigious accolade. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner hasn’t made the cut for the FIFA ‘The Best’ award. What’s particularly surprising is that one of his Al Nassr teammates has secured a spot on the exclusive list of nominees.

Marcelo Brozovic has earned a nomination for the 2023 FIFA Best Player award. This recognition comes on the heels of his outstanding season. Interestingly, he’s made history by becoming the first player in Asia and the SPL to be nominated for the prestigious honor. While Brozovic’s achievement is undeniably remarkable, it’s certain that Cristiano Ronaldo must be feeling disappointed about missing out on these nominations.

Add to that the prospect of potentially not being allowed to participate in the AFC and seeing his side sitting in sixth in the Saudi Professional League; the disappointments seem to be coming in thick and fast for soccer royalty.

READ MORE: No WhatsApp & Instagram for Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East as Al Nassr’s Rival Begs to Provide ‘Unlimited Access’ for Communication