AFC Champions League 2025: Ronaldo's Al Nassr reaches quarter-finals, will face Yokohama

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr will face second-seeded Japanese team Yokohama F. Marinos in the quarter-finals as the AFC Champions League Elite draw was held at the AFC House here on Monday. The knockout matches will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between April 25 and May 3. Four-time Asian winners and top seeds Al Hilal SFC will face South Korean club Guangzhou FC in the quarter-finals. Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli Saudi FC is unbeaten this season with nine victories and a draw and will face Buriram United of Thailand, while Japan's Kawasaki Frontale will face 2011 champions Al Sadd SC of Qatar.

Each quarterfinal will be a cross-regional showdown, marking the first time that Asia's top-tier men's competition will have no regional division of West and East teams since the 2013 edition of the AFC Champions League. The winner of the Al Hilal-Guangzhou tie will face the victor of the Al Ahli-Buriram encounter, while the winner of Marinos-Al Nassr will face Frontale-Al Sadd in the semifinal.

The first quarterfinal will be held on April 25, the second and third quarterfinals will be held on April 26 and the fourth quarterfinal will be played on April 27. The first semifinal will take place two days later on April 29, followed by the second semifinal on April 30. The final will be played on May 3 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, with ultimate glory and a record prize pool of at least US$12 million at stake.

Former champions Al Hilal (2019, 2021) and Al Sadd (2011) will aim to taste glory again, while the teams also include two former finalists in the form of Al Ahli Saudi (2012) and Marinos (2023/24). Meanwhile, Guangzhou are the first team to reach the last eight on their continental debut since Vissel Kobe in 2020.

Quarterfinal matches:

• Al Hilal SFC (KSA) vs Guangzhou FC (KOR)
• Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA) vs Buriram United (THA)
• Yokohama F. Marinos (JPN) vs Al Nassr Club (KSA)
• Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) vs Al Sadd SC (QAT)