Oman today_ If Al-Nassr faces one of Iran’s representatives in the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to travel to Iran on February 10 or 11, 2026. With Esteghlal and Sepahan advancing from the group stage of the second-tier AFC Champions League, Iran now has two teams in this stage, both awaiting the draw to learn their opponents.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that the 16 remaining teams in the 2025-2026 ACL Two season will attend the knockout stage draw on Tuesday, December 30, 2025 (Dey 9) at 15:00 local time. The ceremony will take place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
After the group stage concluded, eight teams from the West Zone and eight teams from the East Zone advanced to the Round of 16, keeping their hopes alive for the 21st edition of this competition. In the draw, teams from each zone are divided into two pots: Pot 1 contains group winners, and Pot 2 contains group runners-up.
West Zone Pots:
Pot 1: Al-Wasl (UAE), Al Ahli (Qatar), Al-Hussein (Jordan), Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia)
Pot 2: Esteghlal (Iran), Arkadag (Turkmenistan), Sepahan (Iran), Al-Zawraa (Iraq)
East Zone Pots:
Pot 1: Macarthur (Australia), Gamba Osaka (Japan), Persib Bandung (Indonesia), Tampines Rovers (Singapore)
Pot 2: Cong An Hanoi (Vietnam), Ratchaburi (Thailand), Bangkok United (Thailand), Pohang Steelers (South Korea)
According to the rules, teams that were in the same group during the group stage will not face each other in the Round of 16. This “group protection” is ensured by the draw software and prevents any deadlocks during the draw process.
Following these rules, there is a high probability that Esteghlal or Sepahan will meet Al-Nassr. Statistically, there is a 66% chance that Cristiano Ronaldo will visit Iran in the Round of 16. Since Al-Nassr topped its group, it will play the first leg away. Therefore, if they are drawn against an Iranian team, Ronaldo will travel to either Tehran or Isfahan on February 10 or 11.
The results of the draw will be confirmed on December 30, 2025 (Dey 9), revealing whether Al-Nassr will face an Iranian team. The knockout stage schedule is as follows:
Round of 16 – First Leg: February 10 & 11, 2026
Round of 16 – Second Leg: February 17 & 18, 2026
Quarterfinals – First Leg: March 2 & 3, 2026
Quarterfinals – Second Leg: March 9 & 10, 2026
Semifinals – First & Second Leg: April 6 & 13, 2026
Single-leg Final “West vs East”: May 16, 2026