Al Nassr vs Al Wasl postponed: AFC gives no new date yet
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The AFC postponed Al Nassr vs Al Wasl on Sunday. The match was set for Monday, October 26, 2026, at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh.
- No reason and no new date were given. Reports point to travel problems that kept Al Wasl from reaching Riyadh in time.
- Cristiano Ronaldo must wait for his next step toward 1000 goals. He is 18 goals short of the mark, according to Sportstar.
Al Nassr and Al Wasl did not play on Monday. The AFC postponed their match on Sunday. No new date has been set yet.
The match was part of the AFC Champions League Elite. It was a third round game in the West Region league phase. Fans who looked for a result on Monday found a postponement instead.
This article explains what happened in plain words. It covers the reason gap, the travel reports, and the reply from Saudi football officials. It also covers the question raised by rival club Al Hilal.
What happened
The Asian Football Confederation runs the AFC Champions League Elite. It is the top club contest in Asia.
Al Nassr play in Saudi Arabia. Al Wasl play in the United Arab Emirates.
The two clubs were set to meet on Monday. The venue was Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh. The game was part of the third round of the contest.
On Sunday, October 25, the AFC postponed the match. Reuters reported the decision on the same day. The AFC gave no reason for the move.
The AFC also gave no new date.
That silence is the key fact of this story. Fans know the game is off. They do not know when it will be played.
The AFC will share the revised schedule later, according to Bolavip.
Saudi media reported one key detail on Sunday. Al Wasl's delegation had not arrived in Riyadh. A delegation is the group that travels with a team.
It includes players, coaches, and staff.
Gulf News gave more detail, according to Bolavip. Travel disruptions stopped Al Wasl from flying to Riyadh. A lack of available flights also played a part.
Al Wasl are based in Dubai. The trip from Dubai to Riyadh did not happen as planned.
The AFC did not confirm that account in its own announcement. The AFC gave no official reason at all. Readers should keep that gap in mind.
The travel reports come from news outlets, not from the AFC itself.
The Saudi federation reply
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation replied to the decision. The federation is known as SAFF. It said the hosting work was done.
SAFF said flight permits were in place. It said logistical plans were complete. Logistics means travel, rooms, and matchday plans.
SAFF also said two groups had reached Riyadh. The match commissioner had arrived. The appointed refereeing team had arrived too.
A match commissioner is an official who checks that a game follows the rules.
SAFF expressed support for Al Nassr. It said it will help with any formal steps the club may take. Formal steps means official requests or complaints.
The club may use them to protect its interests.
That reply matters for one reason. It shows the host side felt ready. The problem, on this account, was the away team's travel.
It was not the stadium or the local plans.
Why it matters
The delay hits Cristiano Ronaldo first. He plays for Al Nassr. He is chasing 1000 career goals.
Sportstar reported that he is 18 goals short of the mark.
Every postponed game pushes that chase back. Ronaldo cannot score in a game that does not happen. Fans tracking the count must wait for the next chance.
The delay also fits a wider pattern. Three Saudi Pro League games were postponed this month. Reuters reported that fact.
The reason given for those games was logistics. Logistics is a broad word. It covers travel and planning problems.
Reuters also reported the wider backdrop. Fighting in Yemen has intensified in recent weeks. The fighting is between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi forces.
Houthi forces are aligned with Iran.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi airports. Riyadh is among the airports named by Reuters. That context helps explain the travel trouble.
It does not prove the cause of this postponement. The AFC gave no cause, so the link stays unconfirmed.
Saudi teams have changed how they travel. Reuters reported that teams went by road for recent AFC games. Al Hilal went by bus to Qatar to face Al Sadd.
Road travel takes longer than flying. It shows how clubs are coping with the disruption.
The Al Hilal question
The postponement raised a fairness question. Rival club Al Hilal had asked for a delay too. Mogaz, in a report on October 26, 2026, gave the details.
Al Hilal asked to postpone their game against Al Sadd. The request was rejected. The club was told to travel by land.
Land travel means going by road, not by air.
Al Hilal then played the game in Qatar. They beat Al Sadd by two goals to nil. They now lead the standings on 6 points.
That total comes from wins in their first two rounds.
OneFootball reported that the Al Hilal board wants parity applied. Parity means the same treatment for all clubs. The board's point is simple to state.
One club was told to travel. Another club's game was postponed.
The AFC has not answered that point in public. No statement on parity was reported. The contrast is now part of the story.
It may shape how the AFC handles the next request.
Readers should note the limit of this claim. The parity complaint comes from club and news reports. It is not an AFC ruling.
The AFC has said nothing on it so far.
What happens next
The next step belongs to the AFC. The AFC must set a new date. It must also set a new kickoff time.
Bolavip reported that the revised schedule will be shared later.
Both clubs must wait for that news. Al Nassr must keep training without a date. Al Wasl must plan a new trip to Riyadh.
The trip failed once, so the next plan matters.
The AFC Champions League schedule is crowded. A new date must fit around league games. It must also fit around other continental games.
That puzzle may take time to solve.
SAFF said it will help Al Nassr with formal steps. Those steps could test the AFC decision. They could also seek a fair outcome for the club.
No formal step has been reported yet.
Fans should watch for one thing only. They should watch for an official AFC announcement. A new date from the AFC is the only firm news.
Rumours about dates should be treated with care.
For now, the facts are short. The game was set for Monday in Riyadh. The AFC postponed it on Sunday.
No reason was given. No new date was given. Al Wasl did not reach Riyadh in time, according to reports.
Ronaldo waits, and so do the fans.
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