Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel to Tehran with Al-Nassr to face Esteghlal in the AFC Champions League Round of 16.
CR7 was afraid of being whipped. The Portuguese star risked a punishment of 99 lashes in Iran due to an incident dating back to September 2023: he had hugged and kissed Iranian artist Fatemeh Hamami Nasrabadi on the forehead, which is considered adultery under Iranian law.
Faced with this risk, Al-Nassr requested a neutral venue, but Esteghlal refused. As a result, Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel to Iran.
However, CR7 will be able to play the second leg in Saudi Arabia on March 10.
