Cristiano Ronaldo reacts as Al Nassr qualifies for the next stage of the AFC Champions League Two before the nine-day break

Christiano Ronaldo looked at his Al Nassr team book their place in the next stage of the AFC Champions League 2 on Wednesday, marking another important step in the 2025-2026 campaign. Now that qualification is assured, the Portuguese star shared his response as Al Nassr now enter a nine-day break.

On Wednesday, Al Nassr traveled to Kazakhstan to face Istiklol at the Central Stadium with a perfect record in Group D. Ronaldo was rested for the trip and did not travel with the team, but even without their top star the Saudi team delivered another dominant performance on the international stage.

João Félix continued his strong form as the team’s top scorer ahead of Ronaldowith a penalty converted in the 12th minute to open the scoring. Later, Mohammed Simakan (40′), Sadio Mane (84′) and Ayman Yahya (90+2′) added their names to the scoresheet and completed a dominant 4-0 win.

With the win, Al Nassr maintained a flawless 5-for-5 run in the group stage, securing his place in the next round of the group stage. AFC Champions League 2. Despite his stay in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo reacted to the team’s qualification Instagram, reposting a photo of the team along with fire and clapping emojisa short but encouraging message for what lies ahead.

Ronaldo has not played a single Champions League Two match yet, a match that Jorge Jesus has described as secondary compared to the club’s main goal: the Saudi Pro League title. But as Al Nassr continues to develop, the Portuguese star remains available for selection and could earn his first official trophy in Saudi Arabia.

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Al Nassr and a long break before their next match

Al Nassr’s 4-0 win over Istiklol not only secured their place in the last 16 teams in Champions League Two, but also marked their final appearance before a long layoff. Ronaldo and his teammates will not return to action until December 21when they face Al Najma SC.

With 25 days between matches, reports in Saudi Arabia indicate Al Nassr’s players will get nine days’ rest before regrouping and then heading to a training camp in the United Arab Emirates. Ronaldo currently leads the Saudi Pro League with a perfect record of nine wins in nine matches and will have to wait a little longer before he can return to the field.