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Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the UAE.
The Portuguese superstar has arrived with Al Nassr ahead of an important match on Tuesday night, and there is some unfinished business involved as well.
So, why exactly is Ronaldo here?
Al Nassr are in Al Ain to face UAE giants Al Ain at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium on Tuesday, September 15, in their opening match of the AFC Champions League Elite. Kick off is at 8pm UAE time.
For the 41 year old Ronaldo, it is another opportunity to chase one of the major trophies still missing from his extraordinary collection.
He has won the UEFA Champions League five times, but is yet to become a champion of Asia with Al Nassr.
Al Ain have caused Ronaldo problems before
There is also plenty of recent history between Ronaldo and Tuesday’s opponents.
The last time Al Nassr and Al Ain met was in the 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite league stage in November 2024. Al Nassr produced a dominant performance in Riyadh, winning 5 1, with Ronaldo among the scorers.
But Ronaldo’s previous trip to Al Ain was a very different story.
In March 2024, the two teams met in the quarter finals of the 2023/24 AFC Champions League. Al Ain won the first leg 1 0 at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, with Soufiane Rahimi scoring the only goal.
The return leg in Riyadh was a thriller. Al Nassr eventually won 4 3 after extra time, leaving the tie level at 4 4 on aggregate. Ronaldo scored a late penalty to force a shootout, but Al Ain won it 3 1 to knock Al Nassr out of the competition.
Al Ain went on to win the AFC Champions League that season.
So Ronaldo now returns to the same Hazza bin Zayed Stadium where Al Ain beat Al Nassr 1 0 and ultimately began the process of ending his Asian Champions League hopes in 2024
From Dammam to AlAin, the work continues ✈️ pic.twitter.com/2yJKNnJJGS
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) September 13, 2026
What happened on Ronaldo’s last UAE visit?
Ronaldo was actually in the UAE more recently.
Al Nassr came to Abu Dhabi in December 2025 for a mid season training camp and played a friendly against Al Wahda at Al Nahyan Stadium.
Before that, one of his more memorable competitive visits came in April 2024 for the Saudi Super Cup in Abu Dhabi. It did not end well. Ronaldo was sent off during Al Nassr’s 2 1 semi final defeat to Al Hilal.
Can you still buy tickets?
This is where there is some bad news for Ronaldo fans hoping to see him on Tuesday.
Tickets were sold through Platinumlist, but the official ticket page now states that the event is sold out and sales have closed.
And if you miss Ronaldo this time, there could be another opportunity. Al Nassr are scheduled to return to the UAE later this season to face Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai on February 15, 2027.
With Ronaldo suggesting the 2026/27 season could be his final one in professional football, opportunities to watch him play in the UAE may be running out.
