Al Nassr Striker Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to play in front of cardboard cut-outs in Iran against Persepolis in the Asian Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo landed in Iran and was welcomed by the ecstatic fans in the country, who followed the Al Nassr team bus as it moved to its destination.
However, none of these fans were able to watch the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, with no supporters allowed in the Azadi Stadium on September 19, 2023.
Although the fans didn’t miss much about the Portuguese star due to his frustrated stats against Persepolis.
Fans not coming to the stadium was due to a stadium ban put on the club by the Football Association of the Asian Champions League after the club posted something offensive on their social media about an Indian side in 2020.
Al Nassr defeated Persepolis with second-half goals from Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Mohammed Qassem.
It was a creepy scene as the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, and Aymeric Laporte helped the visitors to get the victory.
Saudi Arabian teams have failed to play in Iran since 2016 after a group of Iranian militiamen called the Basij attacked the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Tehran.
However, it was reported that the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has improved in recent years.
Cristiano Ronaldo sets a 1,000-match unbeaten record against Persepolis.
The former Manchester United striker set a beautiful record after helping Al Nassr secure a 2-0 win against Persepolis in the AFC Champions League.
The Portuguese legend played all 90 minutes of the match before he was substituted in extra time.
He had secured a 1,000-game unbeaten record, including wins and draws, throughout his football career.
Al Nassr’s win against Persepolis put them on top of Group E with three points from the game, two points ahead of second-placed FC Istiklol, who played a 0-0 draw against Al-Duhail.
What Next for Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo?
The 6th-place Al Nassr team will face Al Ahli on September 22, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was stamped on the left against Persepolis, will be ready for action against Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia.
Winning the match will move the Al Nassr side into the top four of the Saudi Arabia Pro League table.
However, Al-Ahli are a very difficult team to play against. The team sits in third place in the Saudi Arabia Pro League table with 15 points from six matches.
They had only lost a game so far this season. The last outing between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw on September 22, 2023.
What do you think about the cardboard paper that was put in the stadium instead of football fans? Air your views in the comments section.
