Iranian football fans flock to see Ronaldo, Al-Nassr arrive in country for AFC Champions League match

Cristiano Ronaldo fever has hit Tehran as the Portuguese superstar and his Al-Nassr team arrived in the Iranian capital on Monday.
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Updated 13 August 2024
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Iranian football fans flock to see Ronaldo, Al-Nassr arrive in country for AFC Champions League match

  • Saudi club taking on Iranian team Persepolis in opening round of AFC Champions League
  • Images shared on X showed banner across main road in Tehran welcoming Ronaldo

LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo fever on Monday hit Tehran as the Portuguese football star and his Al-Nassr teammates arrived in the Iranian capital.

The Saudi club are taking on Iranian team Persepolis at the city’s Azadi Stadium on Tuesday for their opening match of the AFC Champions League.

Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of fans outside the Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran — where the Al-Nassr team will be staying — waiting to greet the team bus.

Images shared on X also showed a banner across a main road in Tehran welcoming Ronaldo and the team.

In a touching moment, one young Iranian fan got his dream wish after meeting his idol Ronaldo after a viral video the night before showed the boy weeping because he was unable to see the star at the team’s hotel in Tehran.

Al-Nassr officials arranged for the boy to meet the icon, releasing a video showing Ronaldo welcoming him warmly with a high-five and a hug and taking a picture with the young fan, who surprised the star with his signature “Siu” goal celebration.

Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr at the start of this year, a move that sparked a flurry of top-level signings to the Saudi Pro League during the summer transfer window.

Al-Nassr fans will be hoping Ronaldo can bring AFC Champions League glory to the Riyadh club, which was runner-up in the competition in 1995.


Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum

Updated 10 February 2026
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Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum

  • The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds

JEDDAH: The FIA Formula E World Championship continues this week with the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, as Rounds 4 and 5 take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 13 and 14.

The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds, while the highly anticipated Pit Boost feature also returns this weekend.

Pit Boost is a mandatory mid-race stop that provides cars with a 10 percent energy increase, adding a significant strategic element to selected races during double-header weekends.

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans arrives in Jeddah fresh from victory in Miami and said the team is keen to build on its momentum.

“Getting the win in Miami was a huge boost, for me personally, of course, but for the whole team too. It was one of those races where everything just came together, and to take my 15th Formula E victory with Jaguar made it even more special,” he said.

“Now the attention shifts to Jeddah, which is a completely different challenge. We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we execute well across both races, there’s a big opportunity for us to really ride this momentum,” he added.

Porsche Formula E Team’s Nico Muller said the Jeddah E-Prix presents a unique challenge, particularly with the return of Pit Boost, which will be used in one of the two races.

“I’m excited for the Jeddah E-Prix, a night race is always special. It’s a cool track, it suits the GEN3 Evo (car) well,” he said.

“It’ll be the first Pit Boost race of the season, which will make things challenging, having two completely different races. It also makes preparation more intense because we’re preparing for two different scenarios.

“However, we have a strong base, the car and the team are performing well, and now it’s about optimizing our package for this track and the conditions. We have full focus on scoring points and chasing that victory,” he added.

The Jeddah E-Prix will once again be held under the lights, with cooler track and air temperatures expected to influence tire behavior and energy efficiency.

Off track, Formula E will also host the return of EVO Sessions, where global content creators will drive electric race cars at the circuit following the race weekend, with the event set to be streamed live on YouTube on Feb. 15.

The championship continues to promote sustainability and community engagement in Jeddah through initiatives focused on renewable energy use, waste reduction, education programs and inclusion, including support for young women in motorsport and local community partnerships.