Thai media harshly reacts to Đình Bắc and Ronaldo

According to Thai media, the opportunity for CAHN and Đình Bắc to go up against Ronaldo in the AFC Champions League is extremely difficult to realize.

The prospect of Nguyễn Đình Bắc having a chance to compete against Cristiano Ronaldo in the AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27 has drawn attention from Thai media. One football outlet from the country acknowledges that Vietnamese fans have every right to dream of a special showdown between the young star of Công an Hà Nội and CR7, but stresses that the path to making that a reality remains long and full of challenges.

Thai media wrote in a rather humorous tone: "They haven't even played yet, but they're already boasting. Vietnam is dreaming of Đình Bắc preparing to face Ronaldo in the ACL Elite." According to the outlet, the story quickly became a hot topic in Vietnam after CAHN secured a spot in Asia's most prestigious club competition, thereby opening up opportunities for players like Đình Bắc or Quang Hải to encounter top continental stars.

However, the Thai side argues that mentioning Ronaldo at this point is still premature. CAHN belongs to the East Asian region and will first have to compete with many strong representatives from Japan, South Korea, China, and Thailand. Only by advancing past the regional stage and going deep can the Vietnamese representative start thinking about the possibility of meeting a West Asian club like Al Nassr.

According to the format of the AFC Champions League Elite, CAHN and Al Nassr are placed in two different regions during the initial phase. Therefore, the two teams cannot meet in the League Stage or the round of 16. Representatives from East Asia and West Asia only have a chance to face each other when the tournament reaches the quarterfinals, when the top eight teams gather to compete for the championship.

This means CAHN must be among the top four teams in the East Asian region, while Al Nassr also needs to get past the round of 16 in the West Asian region. When both are present in the final group of eight clubs, the draw could create a matchup between Đình Bắc and Quang Hải's team and Ronaldo. Therefore, Thai media considers this an exciting scenario but one with a very high degree of difficulty.

Nevertheless, the mere fact that CAHN has earned the right to compete in the AFC Champions League Elite is a notable step forward for Vietnamese football. Đình Bắc and his teammates will have the opportunity to test themselves against top Asian opponents and accumulate experience at the highest club level. As for the showdown with Ronaldo, even though it remains hypothetical for now, it still adds a special allure to CAHN's journey on the continental stage.