Why rearranged fixture for Cristiano Ronaldo & Al-Nassr has sparked anger in India - explained

Portuguese superstar CR7 and his Saudi Pro League employers are preparing to face Esteghlal Tehran in continental competition. Said fixture will take place on Tuesday, with the match being moved to Dubai due to security fears in Iran.

That decision has been met by a frustrated response from those in India, with Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan Super Giants being informed that they were “deemed withdrawn” from the second tier of AFC Champions League action after refusing to travel to Iran on October 2 for a meeting with Tractor SC in Tabriz.

Tractor’s next outing, against Tajikistan's Ravshan, has now been rescheduled as an away game, while Iran’s national team saw their 2026 World Cup qualifier with Qatar moved to Dubai on October 15. A similar approach has been taken with Ronaldo and Co., much to the disgust of Mohun Bagan.

A spokesperson has told the Associated Press that the club "takes note that the AFC has recognised the volatility of the situation in Iran and as such has rescheduled or changed the venues of a number of matches".

The statement went on to say that: “Not applying the same standard to Mohun Bagan would amount to unequal treatment by the AFC. We constantly communicate our concerns about the volatile and unsafe conditions in and around Iran, especially with regard to the safety of players and staff.”

The Indian Super League outfit had requested that the AFC move their meeting with Tractor prior to making the decision not to travel. They are now hoping to be readmitted to the Champions League tournament after seeing rival teams enjoy more preferential treatment.