Ronaldo's Al Nassr Ready to Conquer Asia: New Champions League Era Begins

Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to add an Asian Champions League crown to his long list of achievements when the continent's top club competition kicks off on Monday. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward saw his first attempt with the Saudi side Al Nassr end in the quarter-finals.

Now rebranded as the Asian Champions League Elite, Al Nassr and the other teams from Saudi Arabia will be a major threat after spending vast sums of money in the last two years on the likes of Ronaldo and Neymar. England forward Ivan Toney was the latest big name to swap Europe for Saudi when he left Brentford for Al Ahli last month for more than $45 million.

A New Era in Asian Football

The 2024-25 season marks a new era in Asian club competition -- as the Asian Football Confederation rolls out a major revamp for the first time since 2002. Previously, the AFC Champions League represented the continent's top level with the AFC Cup being a second-tier competition.

But starting this season, the AFC will hold three club competitions -- which it has not done since 2014. The new top tier of Asian football will be known as the AFC Champions League Elite and sees a reduction of 40 competing teams in the tournament proper to just 24. Previously, teams were divided into groups of four with the ten groups winners and six best-performing runners-up advancing to the knockout round -- split evenly between the East and West regions.

Now, each region's 12 teams will all jostle for position on a single table -- playing eight games in total in the league stage which was determined by a draw back in August. It means that teams will not face every other club in their respective region. The top eight from both sides of the draw will then advance to the round of 16.

Format Mirrors European Changes

The format mirrors changes that will also be implemented in Europe this season with a departure from group play to a combined standing, although the UEFA Champions League will not have regional segregation and have its 36 teams all ranked on the same table.

Changes in the AFC Champions League Elite

The champions will take home at least $12 million. Al Nassr, Al Ahli and Neymar's Al Hilal will all be involved when the Champions League Elite launches on Monday with a new format that splits 24 teams evenly into two groups of East and West. The top eight teams from each zone then advance to a knockout round of 16 to be played in March over two legs, before the action moves to Saudi from the quarter-finals onwards.

Saudi champions Al Hilal are looking to win a record-extending fifth Asian title but they are still waiting for the return of the Brazilian ace Neymar, who has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury last year. Al Hilal have signed Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, bolstering a squad that already featured Aleksandar Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ruben Neves.

Al Nassr finished a distant second to Al Hilal in last season's Saudi Pro League but as well as Ronaldo they can call on Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte and Marcelo Brozovic. The 39-year-old Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and multiple European Champions League winner, recently scored the 900th goal of his career when he netted for Portugal.

The Saudi Powerhouse

For all the Saudi star power, the defending champions come from the United Arab Emirates. Al Ain beat Al Nassr on penalties in the last eight and Argentine great Hernan Crespo coached them to victory in the final against Japan's Yokohama F-Marinos over two legs. Al Ain are one of two UAE clubs taking part in this year's edition, with teams from Qatar, Iran, Uzbekistan and Iraq completing the West zone line-up.

Japan Challenge

In the East, clubs from Japan have posted the best results in recent years and Yokohama return to the Champions League to spearhead their challenge. Coach Harry Kewell has been sacked since leading them to last season's final, with the former Liverpool and Leeds forward paying the price for his team's lacklustre domestic form. Kawasaki Frontale and Vissel Kobe are also representing Japan, while three-time champions Pohang Steelers, twice winners Ulsan and debutants Gwangju will carry the flag for South Korea.

Chinese clubs' spending power has long since dried up but former Chelsea attacker Oscar is still on the books of Shanghai Port, who are led by Australian coach Kevin Muscat. Shandong Taishan and Shanghai Shenhua are also involved from China, while one club each from Australia, Thailand and Malaysia feature in the East league stage.

A New Era of Investment

The revamped Asian Champions League Elite will play a crucial role in encouraging fresh investment in the continent’s clubs, said the Asian Football Confederation’s top official, as the body aims to revitalise the sport in the region. The top tier of the reconfigured competition kicks off on Monday with a field reduced to 24 teams from 40, and features the champions of Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and China as well as title holders Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates.

“The motivation was to ensure that we have quality matches rather than just quantity,” Windsor John, general secretary of the governing body, said of the reasons behind the overhaul. “The last competition had 40 teams and a lot of matches. We’ve focused on quality because we wanted Asian investors, foreign investors to invest in Asian clubs. We’re telling them we have the cream playing so come and invest in our competitions, come and invest in our clubs.”

The Future of Asian Football

The premier Asian club title has alternated between East and West zone for the past six seasons, but East teams dominated for more than a decade prior to that. The AFC Champions League Elite is set to raise the profile of the competition and attract more fans and sponsors. The competition will also be broadcast in over 200 countries around the world, showcasing the best Asian football to a global audience.

The AFC Champions League Elite is a major step forward for Asian football. The new format, increased prize money, and influx of star players will make the competition more exciting and competitive than ever before. It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo and his Saudi teammates can secure the coveted crown. But one thing is for sure: the 2024-25 season will be a thrilling ride for fans of Asian football.