Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr against Monastir tonight?

Cristiano Ronaldo should start when Al-Nassr take on Tunisian side Monastir in the Arab Club Champions Cup on Monday, July 31, at the King Fahd Stadium. The Saudi Arabian giants will be looking to return to winning ways following their 0-0 draw against Al-Shabab last time around.

Al-Nassr played their first competitive game of the 2023-24 season against Al-Shabab on Friday, July 28. Cristiano Ronaldo, however, was named amongst the substitutes for that particular and later came on in the second half. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was not able to make a goalscoring contribution with the game ending goalless in the end.

Ronaldo and his team were in Japan for two pre-season games against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan prior to their game against Al-Shabab. The Portugal skipper could therefore have been rested ahead of his first full season in Saudi Arabia.

Cristiano Ronaldo, however, should start against Monastir on Monday. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star could be partnered alongside Anderson Talisca and Abdulrahman Ghareeb in attack. The tried and tested attacking trio were all on the bench in their previous game against Al-Shabab. However, all three of them came off the bench later in the game.

Al-Nassr managed Luis Castro could also play some of the new signings the club have made over the course of the summer transfer window. The likes of Alex Telles, Marcelo Brozovic, and Seko Fofana could also feature in their game against Monastir.

Monastir are coming into this all-important tie in the Arab Club Champions Cup on the back of a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Egyptian side Zamalek. They are therefore currently at the bottom of Group C in the tournament.

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The Arab Club Champions Cup could be Cristiano Ronaldo's first major trophy in Al-Nassr colors

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer back in December. The star forward spent half a season in Saudi Arabia last time around but failed to win a major trophy.

Ronaldo ended his first season with Al-Nassr with a respectable tally of 14 goals and two assists from 19 matches across all competitions. The Riyadh-based side, however, finished second in the Saudi Pro League, five points behind eventual winners Al-Ittihad.

The Arab Club Champions Cup could therefore be Cristiano Ronaldo's first major honor in Saudi Arabia. His side will first need to finish in the top two in Group C to advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.