Cristiano Ronaldo will travel to India to face FC Gore in two Asian Champions League matches, which have been praised as “historic” in the country.
Saudi Arabia and its superstar Al Nasr It was drawn on Friday With the Indian Super League (ISL) club in Group D of Asia’s 2nd Tier Club Competition and Istikrol of Alzawara in Tajikistan and Iraq. The top two of each of the eight groups advance to the second round.
“This is a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment for FC Gore,” club CEO Rabbi Puskul told The Associated Press. “Hosting Al Nasr and Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly the biggest game in the history of Indian club football.”
Ronaldo, 40, has yet to win a major trophy since signing with the Riyadh Club in 2022.
Al-Nassr, who finished third in the Saudi Arabian professional league last season, also boasts well-known names such as former Liverpool stars Sadio Mane and Joao Felix. Portuguese forward signed from Chelsea in July.
“For Indian football, this is historic,” Puskur added. “We benefit from this and games like this give us the opportunity to show we can compete on the continental stage, making it a part of the biggest story of the sport.”
Puskur is sure there will be excitement across the country to give the local game much needed boost.
“This is a unique opportunity to attract global attention for Indian football, and most importantly, it is an opportunity to attract great interest in Indian football among fans across the country, giving the game a long-needed spotlight,” he said.
The draw comes with domestic Indian football, which is at stake. 2025-26 The ISL season was scheduled to begin in September, but was suspended due to uncertainty regarding the renewal of an organizing agreement between the Union of India and its commercial partner Football Sports Development Co., Ltd., due to pending orders.
Bengaluru FC, Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC have suspended their payroll or have stopped football operations until a solution is found.
“Financial boost is important, but the big picture is the opportunity to create for long-term growth,” Puskur said. “The global attention from moments like these, sponsorship interest and fan engagement will strengthen the club’s foundation and enable it to invest in the future.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
