Ronaldo not coming to India but Neymar is as Mumbai City face Al-Hilal in Champions League

The AFC Champions League 2023/24 draw is out and Mumbai City FC is pipped in the same group as Neymar's Al-Hilal. That means Neymar will be traveling to India to play against Mumbai City FC soon. Asian Champions League came as a result of a merger between the Asian Club Championship and the Asian Super Cup.

Three things you need to know

• Al-Hilal is the most successful club in the AFC Champions League history
• Urawa Red Diamonds are the current holders of AFC Champions League
• A total of 40 clubs will compete in the round-robin group stage of the competition

Many fans were hoping that Al Nassr would get drawn into the same group as Mumbai City FC but as per the rules, two big clubs from the Saudi Pro League cannot be in the same group and Al-Hilal already was added to group D which meant Al-Nassr ending up in group E. 

READ: 25-bedroom house, private plane, €100M-a-year salary: What Neymar will get in Saudi Arabia

On their first try, in 2022, Mumbai City became the first Indian club to win a match in the AFC Champions League, beating Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–1.

Mumbai City won the League Winner’s Shield for the 2022-23 Indian Super League season and then defeated last season’s champion Jamshedpur FC in a play-off to be in the continent’s premier club tournament.

READ: Mumbai City FC beat Mohammedan Sporting Club 3-1 in Durand Cup 2023

The present infrastructural set-up at the Mumbai Football Arena makes the venue ineligible to host AFC Champions League games and hence MCFC will play their three ‘home’ Group Stage games in Pune.

West Zone AFC Champion League groups finalized 

Group A: Pakhator, AL Fayha, Ahal FC, Al Ain FC

Group B: Al Sadd, FC Nassaf, Al Faisaly, Sharjah FC

Group C: Al Ittihad, Sepahan SC, Air Force Club, AGMK FC

Group D: Al Hilal, FC Nassaji, Mumbai City FC, Navbahor

Group E: Persepolis, AL Duhail, FC Istiklol, Al Nassr