AFC Champions League Elite: How to watch Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo in the UAE this week

The two greats will be playing for their respective Saudi Pro League clubs, Al Hilal and Al Nassr, in Asia’s top club competition

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Al Nassr's victory over Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League at the Al Shabab Club Stadium in Riyadh. Getty Images

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo scores the second goal from the penalty spot on Friday, October 18, 2024. Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr players celebrate victory over Al Shabab in Riyadh. Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with teammate Ali Lajami after scoring from the penalty spot. Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring the winner for Al Nassr against Al Shabab. Getty Images

Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo continued his good form in the Saudi Pro League. Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo battles for the ball at the Al Shabab Club Stadium. Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo secured victory for Al Nassr. Reuters

Two of international football’s greatest ever goalscorers will be in action on consecutive nights in the UAE this week.

First, Neymar is set to make his long-awaited comeback from injury for Al Hilal on Monday, then Cristiano Ronaldo will be in action for Al Nassr the following evening.

Neymar returns

Al Hilal announced in a social media post on Sunday morning that Neymar will be part of their tour party for Monday’s night’s game against Al Ain.

The Saudi champions will face the side from the Garden City in an AFC Champions League group match at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, kicking off at 8pm.

The fixture would have been a box-office one anyway, even without the return of the Brazilian. After all, Al Ain beat Al Hilal on the way to winning Asia’s Champions League last season, which was the only blemish in an otherwise extraordinary campaign for the Riyadh-based side.

Lengthy absence

In the clip the club posted, Neymar professed himself “ready” to return to playing. How much game time he gets, though, remains to be seen.

The forward, who has 79 goals in 128 games for Brazil, has been sidelined for over a year after suffering an anterior crucial ligament rupture while representing Brazil on October 19, 2023.

He remains unavailable for Saudi Pro League selection, as he will not be part of their squad until January, meaning he will have to work his way back to full fitness via the Champions League.

Form guide

Neymar was the headline signing in a transformative summer spree by Saudi Pro League clubs last year, in a €90 million deal that brought him in from Paris Saint-Germain.

Even though he managed just five appearances before his injury, his club coped just fine without him. Hilal went unbeaten as they won the league by 14 points, and won the King’s Cup to boot, to complete a domestic double.

They have won all seven league games and twice in the Champions League at the start of this campaign, too.

Al Ain’s form, by contrast, has been inconsistent, but that was the same last season and they still somehow managed to win the Champions League.

Plus, they are through to the second round of the new Intercontinental Cup, in which they will face African champs Al Ahly in Cairo later this month.

Chance to see Cristiano

Ronaldo scored his 907th career goal in the 97th minute of Al Nassr’s league game against Al Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.

Now he will be part of their squad for their third Champions League fixtures of the campaign, against Iranian side Esteghlal in Dubai. The game will kick off at 8pm on Tuesday.

Why in Dubai?

The fixture had been set to be played at the Qods City Martyrs Stadium in Tehran. However, the AFC asked for the home club, Esteghlal, to find a venue in a neutral country because of the conflict involving Israel.

They opted for a switch to Rashid Stadium, the ground near Dubai International Airport which is home to UAE Pro League club Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.

Although they have ceded home advantage, the ground is at least known to Iranians. It is the same ground at which the Iran national team, for whom Esteghlal’s captain Hossein Hosseini was a non-playing sub, played their World Cup qualifier against Qatar last week.

The competition

After two matches, Al Hilal top the Champions League table. Asia’s top club competition has been revamped along similar lines to that in Europe.

Now, there are 24 teams playing eight games against different opponents in the new league phase, instead of the previous groups of four.

Twelve teams from the West region and 12 from the East have been placed into separate leagues. The top eight from either side will advance to the round of 16.

Tickets

The Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain is sold out for the visit of Neymar and Co on Monday.

Tickets are available for the arrival of Ronaldo in Dubai on Tuesday, starting at Dh150, and can be bought here.

TV

AFC Champions League fixtures are broadcast live on beIN Sports.