There is a distinct possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo, the global football icon, featuring against an Indian club as he has been named in the Al-Nassr squad to face  FC Goa in their upcoming AFC Champions League 2 Group D fixture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tonight. The Portuguese superstar did not make the trip to India for the first leg, which the Indian club went down fighting 2-1.

Local media reports say that Jorge Jesus, the Saudi club’s head coach, has named him in the squad after resting him in first leg in order to shield him from unnecessary physical strain in view of a packed domestic and international calendar.

It could then be a moment of reckoning for the Sandesh Jhingan’s team to take on the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on the pitch – though the final decision rests on the team management.  The match kicks off at 11.45 pm IST at Al-Awaal Park and will be streamed live on Fan Code.

FC Goa, coached by Spanish coach Manolo Marquez, find themselves in a tough position. The Indian Super League club sits at the bottom of Group D having failed to register a single point.

They have suffered three consecutive defeats so far: 0–2 against Al-Zawraa, 0–2 against Istiklol Dushanbe and a loss to the Saudi giants.

That first-leg encounter saw Brazilian attacker Angelo and midfielder Haroon Camara scoring for the Saudi side, while Goa managed a late response courtesy Bryson Fernandes.

Speaking ahead of the clash, Marquez said: ‘’It’s an honour to play against such a big club. These moments are special not only for the players but for all FC Goa supporters and Indian football. But we are not here just to admire the occasion – we’re here to compete.

‘’We’ve earned this opportunity through hard work, from last season’s efforts to our progress this year. The team is confident, in good form and we want to enjoy the match but most importantly, we want to compete and try to win,’’ Marquez, who had also served as the national team coach, added.