Al Nassr has been dealt with harshly by the hands of fate. An inspired victory at Al Awwal Park even while playing with a man down did not matter much as the Knights of Najd saw their AFC Champions League campaign cut short after losing to Al Ain via a penalty shootout. A big blow to Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. as this was probably their best chance of securing a trophy this season. Rubbing salt into the wound, Luis Castro’s side won’t be able to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 based on the club’s direct results. But there is a twist to the tale.

Owing to the new format of CWC starting in 2025, Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo still have the possibility of featuring in the tournament scheduled to be played in the US. Let’s find out how.

How can Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. hold onto slot 4 in the FIFA CWC?

A total of 32 teams will compete for the CWC trophy. Out of these, four teams are from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Out of the 4 available slots, Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) have secured two. The reason being their AFC Champions League Victory in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This leaves space for two more teams from the tournament.

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One of these two teams will be the winner of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League. Spot no. 4 will be handed to the best eligible team from the AFC 4-year ranking. For Al Nassr, their slim chances of making it to the FIFA CWC 2025 lie in getting a good ranking from the AFC. This ranking takes into account the club’s previous performances in the AFC competitions.

However, Al Nassr & Cristiano Ronaldo did miss a big opportunity. Had they defeated Al Ain with some other results going their way, then the Knights of Najd would have qualified for the CWC even without a Champions League victory. For now, their hopes lie in the AFC Ranking. Speaking of which, how does the Ranking system work?

AFC Ranking calculation principle

The ranking system takes into account the club’s performance in the previous 4 AFC Champions Leagues and the current edition. In the group stage, participation fetches 3 points while a win, draw or loss brings (3, 1, 0) points additionally. Moreover, for the knockout stage, participation in the R016 fetches 3 points while it is 1 point for the subsequent rounds. The points for the win, draw, and loss are still 3, 1, and 0, respectively.

Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Promise and Disappoints Mother Maria After Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Loss vs Al Ain

As of right now, Al Hilal is the No. 1 ranked in the continent. 2nd on the list is Cristiano Ronaldo’s employer Al Nassr, followed closely by Ulsan HD (South Korea). Ulsan is still in the competition and faces Jeonbuk tonight. For Luis Castro’s side, having Ulsan qualify for the next rounds could be a big blow, as this could see them leapfrog Al Nassr in the ranking. Hence, they will be firmly cheering Ulsan’s opponents for the night, Jeonbuk.

What went wrong for Cristiano Ronaldo’s side against Al Ain? Tell us below in the comments.

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