Goa: Cristiano Ronaldo has chosen not to accompany Al-Nassr on their upcoming trip to India for their AFC Champions League Two fixture vs FC Goa, exercising a clause in his contract that permits him to decide which away matches he participates in outside Saudi Arabia. According to reports, the Indian club had made multiple requests for Cristiano Ronaldo to travel to India and play in the fixture. The decision means the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will be absent when his team faces FC Goa in what would have been his maiden appearance on Indian soil, disappointing millions of supporters who were eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness one of football's greatest players in person. However, the match may likely feature top names such as Sadio Mane and Joao Felix.

Despite Ronaldo's absence, the Saudi club enters the match in commanding form, sitting atop their group with a perfect record of two victories from two outings. The Riyadh-based side currently holds a comfortable three-point cushion over both Al-Zawraa and Tajikistan's Istiklol Dushanbe in the standings. FC Goa face an uphill battle after suffering consecutive defeats to open their campaign, leaving them winless at the bottom of the group. 

FC Goa Ready for Al-Nassr

Speaking to a media outlet earlier, India's defensive stalwart Sandesh Jhingan expressed the magnitude of FC Goa's upcoming encounter with Al-Nassr, describing a potential victory as "massive" for Indian football. Jhingan acknowledged the immense quality of their opponents while emphasizing FC Goa's ambitions extend beyond mere participation. The defender highlighted how competing against such caliber players provides invaluable growth opportunities for the squad, though he was quick to stress that the team's ultimate objective remains advancing to the knockout rounds despite being drawn in one of the competition's most difficult groups.

For FC Goa, positioned at the bottom of Group D following opening defeats, the fixture represents a daunting but defining moment. The team faces an uphill battle against opponents who have collected maximum points thus far, but the defender's message is clear: Indian football can no longer be satisfied with simply showing up on these occasions. The ambition must be to compete credibly and pursue tangible results, regardless of the opponent's reputation.

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