Why Cristiano Ronaldo Is Not Coming To India For FC Goa-Al Nassr Match?

Last Updated:October 21, 2025, 13:21 IST

FC Goa will face Al Nassr in an AFC Champions League 2 match on October 22 at the Fatorda Stadium, but Ronaldo will not play in that fixture.

Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Al Nassr vs FC Goa match. (Picture Credit: X/@Cristiano)

Cristiano Ronaldo is not coming to India! The 40-year-old legendary footballer, who is arguably the greatest of all time, didn’t join his Al Nassr teammates on their way to India for their AFC Champions League 2 match against FC Goa. The match between Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa is scheduled to be played at the Fatorda Stadium on October 22.

Al Nassr players arrived in India on Monday night for the match which will be played on Wednesday (October 22), but there was no Ronaldo.

Indian fans were expecting the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to travel to India for the match, but he has skipped it.

While there was no official reason given to the fans by Al Nassr for Ronaldo’s decision to not travel to India, it has been reported that Ronaldo, who joined Al Nassr in the first week of January 2023 after terminating his contract with Manchester United, has a clause in his contract with Al-Nassr that gives him the right to pick and choose the games that he will play outside of Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo’s decision to skip the match in India will give fans a big heartbreak in Goa, as they were preparing to watch him play.

Last week, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also shared his excitement about the possibility of Ronaldo’s visit to the state.

“The news about Cristiano Ronaldo’s possibility of visiting Goa has created huge excitement among football fans, not only in Goa but across India," he said.

“Ronaldo is one of the great footballers of all time. His visit to Goa will be a moment of great pride for the state. Ronaldo’s presence will inspire thousands of young players and will put Goa firmly on the global sports tourism map. For Goans, who live and breathe football, his visit…would be a celebration of passion, excellence and the unifying power of the beautiful game," he added.

Messi to visit India in December 2025

While Ronaldo has skipped India, his long-time rival Lionel Messi will travel to India in December 2025 for a three-day GOAT India tour. During his trip to India in December, Messi will visit Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

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