Al-Nassr forced to cancel training as massive crowds bombard session to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in Iran: Reports 

Al-Nassr have reportedly been forced to abandon a training session due to hundreds of people flocking to catch a glimpse of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are in Iran to take on Persepolis in an AFC Champions League group-stage match on Tuesday (19 September) at the Azadi Stadium. According to @centregoals on X, massive crowds gathered around the training ground to watch the Portuguese superstar in action.

Perhaps concerned for the security of the players, Al-Nassr apparently abandoned the training session. According to AP News, fans also flocked to Espians Palace Hotel in Iran, where Al-Nassr players are staying, and chanted 'Ronaldo, Ronaldo' in the public area of the property.

This is the first time Saudi and Iranian teams are facing each other on home soil since the 2015 AFC Champions League. This has been made possible by the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries earlier this year with the help of China.

The reverse fixture will be played in Riyadh on 27 November. The match in Tehran could mark Ronaldo's first appearance in the competition. He is expected to lead his team out on the pitch as they hope to win the AFC Champions League title for the first time in their history.

Ronaldo, 38, conquered the UEFA Champions League five times during his time at Manchester United and Real Madrid in Europe. He has yet to win a FIFA-recognized competition with Faris Najd since his transfer in January this year.

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Cristiano Ronaldo off to a great start at Al-Nassr this season

Cristiano Ronaldo came close to helping Al-Nassr win the league title last season. But they fell five points short of eventual winners Al-Ittihad.

The former Real Madrid superstar will hope to help his team go one step further this season and win their first Saudi league title since the 2018-19 campaign. They currently sit sixth in the table with 12 points from six matches — four behind league-leaders Al-Hilal.

But Ronaldo is doing his end of the job. He has registered seven goals and four assists in five league games since missing the opening-day 2-1 loss to Al-Ettifaq. He also grabbed an assist as Al-Nassr scored three late goals to beat Shabab Al-Ahli 4-2 in the AFC Champions League qualifiers.

'CR7' also helped the Saudi giants win the Arab Club Champions Cup for the first time in their history right before the start of the season. He scored twice in the 2-1 final win against rivals Al-Hilal. The competition, however, is not recognized by FIFA.