Football fans in India were left disappointed as Cristiano Ronaldo decided to skip Al-Nassr’s much-awaited AFC Champions League 2 match against FC Goa, set for October 22 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
The news came as a blow to Indian football lovers who had hoped to see the legendary Portuguese forward play in person, especially since this could have been his first match in India.
The match had already created excitement, with FC Goa’s management hoping that Ronaldo’s presence would bring extra attention and prestige to the game. But despite their efforts to include him, Ronaldo won’t be travelling with the team.
Possible reasons behind skipping the game
Reports from Saudi outlet Al Riyadhiah suggest that Ronaldo’s decision not to make the trip is due to his contract with Al-Nassr, which allows him to skip matches held outside Saudi Arabia. It is believed that he’s focusing on managing his fitness ahead of next year’s World Cup and doesn’t want to make the long journey to India.
Even without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr has been performing well, winning both of their opening matches in the tournament and are in a strong position to make it to the knockout rounds.
Ronaldo’s absence is especially notable because this year, Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina team are also set to visit India.
This has already created a lot of buzz, making 2025 a rare chance for Indian fans to see both Messi and Ronaldo in action. Now, with Ronaldo missing out, it feels like a big opportunity has been missed.
There had been some hope that Ronaldo might still appear in the match, especially after his name was included in Al-Nassr’s visa application list for the trip. However, FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur explained that they were still waiting for confirmation from Ronaldo’s team about his participation.
For FC Goa, Ronaldo’s absence is a big disappointment, especially after they qualified for the AFC Champions League 2 by beating Al Seeb. The club had hoped that facing a star-studded team like Al-Nassr, with Ronaldo on the field, would be a major moment in Indian football.
Now, with Ronaldo staying home, fans are left to look forward to Messi’s visit later this year, while thinking about what could have been if both football legends had played in India.
Ticket pricing for the match
Ticket prices for the match were on the higher side. The lowest ticket price is Rs 2,500 for the South Lower and North Lower sections, while tickets for the South Upper and North Upper sections are priced at Rs 3,500.
For those looking for a more premium experience, the East Lower tickets are priced at Rs 5,000, and the East Upper tickets at Rs 6,500. The highest-priced tickets, at Rs 8,500, are for the West Upper section of the stadium.
‘Let’s unfollow Ronaldo’
Indian fans were furious over the recent update. A user noted, “Lets unfollow Cristiano Ronaldo my fellow Indians!! This guy chooses to not travel a country which has given him most followers on social media and The city in which he was supposed to play (Goa) has much more portugese resemblance.”
Another claimed, “This is beyond brutal, so sick of this.” “Why we need a loser when the goat who won the world cup will come,” added a netizen.
“This is the difference between messi and Ronaldo,” noted a user.
“Good decision. Tickets were being sold on black market by their management,” claimed a netizen.
“Good I did not waste my money booking those tickets,” wrote another.
“Rip to all the people who just bought the tickets to see Ronaldo… Actually those people they are the reason why the tickets were so unbelievably expensive,” stated a netizen.
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