Saudi Arabian media reports that UEFA is contemplating inviting Al Nassr to participate in the upcoming season of the Champions League as the tournament undergoes format changes and expands its scope.
On November 12, journalist Al Harbi posted this information on X – formerly known as Twitter – and several Saudi Arabian newspapers widely reported it. The news also drew attention from European media as UEFA had previously announced changes to the Champions League format for the upcoming year.
“UEFA is considering extending an invitation to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr to participate in the 2024 Champions League because they are ‘one of the three most famous clubs in the world.’ UEFA also acknowledges that Al Nassr has the capability and a large fan base in Europe,” wrote Al Harbi.
If this becomes a reality, Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the stage where he made his name. The Portuguese forward has won the Champions League multiple times and holds the record for the most goals in the competition’s history (140 goals).
In the upcoming season, UEFA will eliminate the current group stage format of the Champions League. Instead, the 36 participating teams will be placed into a large group and seeded based on past performance. The matches will be paired using the Swiss system, a format common in chess and some esports.
In the second round, the winners of the first round will face each other, the draws will face each other, and the losers will face each other. Teams with higher points will likely face each other, creating more intense matchups. After 10 rounds, the top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16. The following 16 teams will compete in a playoff to select the remaining eight teams for the round of 16. Teams from 17th to 24th place will drop down to play in the Europa League, while the bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
There is also the possibility that UEFA will invite teams from outside Europe to participate to increase the tournament’s attractiveness. The Swiss system ensures that each team will play at least 10 matches. If a team is eliminated in the group stage, they will play a maximum of six matches.
Ronaldo is currently in good form in his second season with Al Nassr. On November 11, when Al Nassr defeated Al Wehda 3-1 in the 13th round of the Pro League, Ronaldo scored his 13th goal, helping him solidify his position at the top of the Saudi Pro League’s goal-scoring charts. Al Nassr is in second place in the league, four points behind the leaders Al Hilal.
