The Persepolis vs. Nassr FC line-up has been announced and the match will start now.

Cristiano Ronaldo was welcomed in Iran with extraordinary scenes, with hundreds of fans following the Al-Nasr bus and then storming the team hotel to catch a glimpse of him.

The Saudi Arabian club are set to play Tehran-based side Persepolis in their opening AFC Champions League group stage match on Tuesday night, and they are well received.

Videos released on Al-Nasr’s X-Feed showed fans running down the street in pursuit of their yellow team coach as pre-match excitement reached fever pitch.

Fans young and old were seen carrying Ronaldo posters and wearing Ronaldo shirts as the Portuguese superstar prepared to play in the Iranian capital.

For the first time in 20 years, neither Leo Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in this year’s Champions League, which starts on Tuesday.

The Argentine is with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), while the Portuguese is with Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia. Two different places to leave behind a long reign on the old continent.

Two of the most influential players on the planet have ended their time in Europe. While Cristiano debuted in the top continental club competition with Sporting Portugal in 2003 and played his last game in 2022 with Manchester United.

Messi made his debut with FC Barcelona in 2004 and ended his tenure with Paris Saint-Germain in 2023. Both have played 19 seasons in the Champions League.