Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr are set to arrive in India tonight ahead of their AFC Champions League 2 away clash against FC Goa on October 22, but Cristiano
Ronaldo is not coming to India.
Despite the monumental anticipation of Ronaldo's arrival, MyKhel understands the player has decided to skip his maiden India trip.
The 40-year-old forward has reportedly opted out of the trip, exercising a contract clause that allows him to decide which overseas fixtures to participate in. Al Nassr will land at Dabolim International Airport today (October 20) as they prepare for their third group-stage match, following a comfortable league win over Al-Fateh.
FC Goa, who earned their place in the tournament by defeating former AFC Cup champions Al Seeb, were drawn into Group D alongside Al Nassr - a pairing that had raised hopes among Indian fans of witnessing Ronaldo play on Indian soil.
A source relevant to Saudi Arabia football recently told MyKhel that Cristiano Ronaldo will decide on his India trip after the international break. The Portuguese player was not entirely uninterested about the Goa trip, but decided to skip it for workload reasons. The former Man United player played for Al Nassr last weekend, as he scored in their excellent victory over Al Fateh.
Al Nassr practised on Sunday for the FC Goa clash, but Ronaldo didn't feature in the training as he only did gym work. Even without Ronaldo, the Saudi club possesses an excellent squad with world class players such as Sadio Mane, Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman - who are expected to arrive for the FC Goa encounter.