Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

Is Cristiano Ronaldo Playing Tonight for Al-Nassr vs Al-Zawraa SC?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 9:06 AM ET

Al Nassr will play their second game of the AFC Champions League Two tonight in Iraq as they take on Al Zawraa in the Al-Zawraa Stadium. Al Nassr started their AFC Champions League Two campaign with a win.

Al Nassr are top of Group D after defeating FC Istiklol 5-0 a few weeks ago. They did it without Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed the team's first match in their AFC Champions League Two campaign.

Ronaldo played in four matches with Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League but did not feature in the AFC Champions League Two nor the King's Cup. His last appearance was in Al Nassr's 2-0 win over Al Ittihad in the league with a goal from Ronaldo in the 35th minute.

Ahead of the match against Al Zawraa, Ronaldo was not a part of the Al Nassr squad list. Cristiano Ronaldo will not play against Al Zawraa tonight in the AFC Champions League Two.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo Injured?

No, Cristiano Ronaldo is not injured, and the Al Nassr manager Jorge Jesus revealed that he decided to leave him out. The Al Nassr team has arrived in Iraq a day before the match.

Jorge Jesus decided not to play Ronaldo as he wanted to rest the 40-year-old striker. The Portuguese manager believes that it was the right time to give Ronaldo some rest.

Jorge Jesus said, "I thought this was the best time to rest Cristiano Ronaldo. Cristiano Ronaldo is currently 40 years old, and we fear he might suffer injuries; that’s why I decided to exclude him."

Al Nassr's next match after Al Zawraa is against Al Fateh FC in the Saudi Pro League. The match will be played at home at Al-Awwal Park.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: