TEHRAN — Thousands of Iranian fans enthusiastically greeted the arrival of Saudi's Al-Nassr football club in Tehran on Monday. This reception comes in anticipation of the highly clash on Tuesday, where Al-Nassr will face off against Iranian hosts Persepolis in the first match of the AFC Champions League group stage. The streets of the Iranian capital were adorned with welcoming banners for Al-Nassr and their Portuguese captain, Cristiano Ronaldo. Social media platforms were abuzz with videos capturing the joy of Iranian fans as they witnessed the stars of Al-Nassr, with Ronaldo leading the way. Upon the arrival of the Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo and Senegalese player Sadio Mané, alongside the Al-Nassr team delegation, Persepolis gifted them an exquisite Persian carpet. Thousands of Iranians gathered in the vicinity of the airport hours before the arrival of Al-Nassr team. The club has gained global recognition in recent months due to major international signings, with fans of all ages in Iran sporting Al-Nassr jerseys adorned with the numbers of Ronaldo, Mané, and other stars. The hotel where Al-Nassr stayed witnessed the presence of thousands of fans eager to capture memorable photos with the Saudi club's stars, notably Ronaldo. Fans shared images and videos of the Al-Nassr bus departing from the airport en route to the hotel, with Ronaldo waving to the crowd from the bus window. In a post on the "X" platform, Persepolis, the Iranian team, extended a warm welcome to Saudi's Al-Nassr, saying, "Welcome to Iran Al-Nassr." The AFC Champions League regulations stipulate that each team participating in the tournament can field only five foreign players on their roster, in addition to one Asian player. The selection of foreign players is at the discretion of the coaching staff. Therefore, Al-Nassr's Portuguese coach Luis Castro will determine the list of foreign players in his team just before the match against Persepolis in the AFC Champions League. Al-Nassr successfully overcame the hurdle of the UAE's Shabab Ahli Dubai in the Asian playoff, defeating them 4-2 at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh. This victory secured their return to the AFC Champions League, where they find themselves in Group Five, alongside Persepolis from Iran, Qatar's Al-Duhail, and Tajikistan's Istiklol Dushanbe.
