Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be back powering Al Nassr when the Saudi Arabian team hosts Esteghlal in the return leg of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 Round of 16 tie on Monday.

Cristiano Ronaldo was missing in action as Al Nassr faced Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League. Fans expected him to lead the attack, but he never made the trip to Tehran. The match ended in a goalless draw,

Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of the matchday squad for their AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal. Ronaldo did not travel to Tehran with the rest of his teammates for the first leg of the last-16 tie.

By bnm Gulf bureau Cristiano Ronaldo has been excluded from Al-Nassr's squad for their AFC Champions League round of 16 match against Esteghlal Tehran in Iran, with conflicting explanations emerging about the reason for his absence.

Al-Nassr star and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the star attractions in the Asian Champions League, but fans in Iran will miss out on seeing the Portuguese icon. He has been left out

Nassr's trip to Iran in the Asian Champions League, with reports initially suggesting he was set to face punishment for adultery

Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel to Tehran with Al-Nassr to face Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Round of 16. CR7 was afraid of being whipped. The Portuguese star risked a punishment of 99 lashes in Iran due to an incident dating back to September 2023: he had hugged and kissed Iranian artist Fatemeh Hamami Nasrabadi on the forehead,

Cristiano Ronaldo could face a sentence of 99 lashes for adultery the next time he visits Iran because of a photo with a painter, stated several posts on social media. However, the Iranian Embassy in Spain has rejected the notion that the country’s justice system had issued such a ruling.

Nassr's Asian Champions League clash against Iranian side Esteghlal on Monday evening amid claims he was set to be punished in the Middle East nation

The Portuguese star could face punishment for kissing and hugging a disabled artist in 2023, and the Iranian club has refused to play the Asian Champions League clash on neutral ground. Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in the first leg of the AFC Champions League round of 16 because his team,

Spanish publication MARCA made a sensational claim that Cristiano Ronaldo was not part of the Al-Nassr side to face Esteghal in Tehran, Iran, due to the fear of receiving 99 cane lashes over adultery.