Cristiano Ronaldo starts as confirmed teams and players in the semi final of the AFC Champions League, full TV channel and online live streaming details.
Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli have confirmed their teams to meet at Dubai’s Zabeel Stadium in the AFC Champions League Second Round on Wednesday.
The Saudi Pro League leaders have won all nine of their games in this season’s competition and are aiming to become their first ever Saudi champions.
Ninth in the Qatar Stars League, Al-Ahli won two and drew four of their group games before defeating Iranian side Sepahan after extra time in their last two legs in the last 16 and Jordanian Pro League club Al-Hussein in the quarter-final.
101GreatGoals.com has team news and starting lineups as Al-Nassr take on Al-Ahli in the AFC Champions League.
You hear them before you see them 👀 pic.twitter.com/cWAPbrfaN2
– AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) April 22, 2026
Al Nassr confirmed the team vs Al Ahli
Striker Joao Felix was substituted with a hamstring strain in the 58th minute of Al-Nassr’s 4-0 quarter-final win against Al-Wasl but started as part of an unchanged side, as did winger Kingsley Coman, who suffered an ankle injury and was withdrawn early in the second half.
Goalkeeper Mubarak Al-Buainain and midfielder Sami Al-Najei are out due to injuries.
Al-Nassr could reach the final of the multi-stage continental competition for the first time in 28 years. “It’s a semi-final game, but it’s like a final game and a play-off game is unexpected,” said coach Jorge Jesus, via Al-Riyadh.
“We are playing with confidence…we will not change the tactical ideas with which we started the season. We respect our opponents, their reaching the semi-finals did not happen by accident.
“They are a respectable team and we are preparing to compete against them on the field. No Saudi team has ever won this tournament and we have a great desire to achieve that.”
Al-Nassr starting XI: Bento, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulelah Al Amri, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Nawaf Boushal, Angelo, Kingsley Coman, Inigo Martinez, Joao Felix
Al-Nassr instead: Nawaf Al-Aqidi, Nader Al-Sharari, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Saad Al-Nasser, Salem Al-Najdi, Ayman Yahya, Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Ali Al-Hassan, Mohammed Hayder, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Mohammed Marran, Abdullah Al-Hamdan,
Full line up for Al Ahli vs Al Nassr
Al-Ahli’s unchanged squad includes former Nigeria captain and 2023 World Cup Player of the Year William Troost-Ekong in defense and Julian Draxler – who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and four-time Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain – in midfield.
Former PSG striker Sekou Yansane and midfielder Driss Fettouhi have been selected by Morocco. Defender Robin Tihi appeared in Finland in 2023.
“We are fully prepared and looking to play a strong game against strong opponents with many well-known names in world football,” former Qatar coach Younes Ali said, via the Qatar Tribune.
“But we also have a big desire to make a big impact… our strikers have great technical ability.
“They played an excellent game in the quarter-finals, they created many chances and faced a goalkeeper who saved many times, I believe that we will face Al Nassr.
“I’m not worried about missing opportunities as long as we continue to do well and create opportunities… [it] it will be harder and different than before [round]given the strength of the opponents and the quality of their players.
“I expect a few chances to score goals but we will be ready for the challenge.”
Draxler predicted a “difficult” task against Al-Nasssr with “many big players – most of whom I already know from my time in Europe”.
“We have nothing to lose,” added the 2013/14 Bundesliga Player of the Season with Schalke (via AFC). “We are in the semi finals, let’s see what we can do.”
Al-Ahli starting XI: Marwan Badreldin, William Troost-Ekong, Ibrahima Diallo, Julian Draxler, Driss Fettouhi, Sekou Yansane, Erik Exposito, Michel Vlap, Robin Tihi, Aboubacar Doumbouya, Ayoub Amraoui
Al-Ahli instead of: Yazan Naim, Islam Yassine, Talal Al Shila, Hilal Mohammed, Othman Alawi, Hamad Mansour, Mohammed Abdulla Al Ishaq, Khaled Radwan, Suhaib Gannan, Ahmed Reyad, Younis Abdelrahman, Nasser Ibrahim
Where to watch Al Nassr vs Al Ahli: TV channel, live streaming online
The game starts at 17:00 GMT (12:00 ET / 09:00 PT) on Friday. In the UK, the tie is live on AFC Hub.
Al Nassr vs Al Ahli statistics
- No one has scored more goals in this season’s competition than Al-Ahli’s Michel Vlap (6), while Trent Buhagiar (8) of Tampines Rovers is the only player to have netted more times.
- Japanese side Gamba Osaka, who await the winners of the final on May 17, are the only club out of these teams to remain unbeaten in the group stage of the 2025/26 AFC Champions League Two.
- Only Rovers’ Koya Kazama and Al-Wasl’s Serginho (5 each) have provided more assists in this season’s competition than Draxler and Joao Felix (4 each)
- With 28 goals, Al-Nassr are three goals ahead of the next highest scoring club in the 2025/26 tournament, Osaka. Al-Ahli have netted 13 times
- Al-Nassr’s total of seven clean sheets is two more than the team with the next highest shutout, Osaka.
- Muhsen Al Ghassani (28) of Bangkok United, Issam Jebali (25) of Osaka, Denilson Junior (23) of Ratchaburi and William Barros (20) of Persib are the only players to have produced more goal attempts than Erik Exposito (19) of Al-Ahli.
- Al-Ahli (101) is one of six teams to have made more than 100 mistakes in this season’s competition.
- Pohang Steelers, eliminated from the Last 16, are the only team to match Al-Nassr’s 89% passing rate
- Only Cong An Ha Noi’s Leo Artur and Persib’s Thom Haye (25 each) have created more chances than Fettouhi and Al-Nassr’s Angelo (18 each)
- Apart from the Osaka players, Fettouhi attempted more passes in the competition (608 – 15 ahead of Everton in Bangkok)
