Thai team may meet Ronaldo in Asian Cup

According to ASEAN Football , Thailand's sole representative will face one of the top four West Asian teams, Al Ahli, Al Hilal, Al Nassr or Al Sadd. Among them, the prospect of Buriram United facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr is attracting great interest from fans.

If this becomes a reality, this will not only be a historic match for Buriram but also a remarkable event for Southeast Asian fans. Despite facing teams with world- class stars, Buriram United have proven that they are not afraid of challenges and are ready to create surprises.

Buriram United's presence in the quarterfinals brings joy to Thai fans, and is also a motivation for Southeast Asian clubs to continue to reach new heights, affirming their ability to compete fairly in Asia's most prestigious playground.

On March 11, the Thai representative excellently defeated Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia) with a score of 1-0, thereby winning a ticket to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25. Suphanat Mueanta played the role of Buriram's hero in this resounding victory of Thai football.

Suphanat and Buriram became the pride of Southeast Asia in the top 8 of the Champions League Elite this season.

Thanks to their participation in the quarterfinals, Buriram pocketed 54 million baht (about 1.6 million USD ) in bonuses from the Asian Football Confederation. Specifically, teams participating in the AFC Champions League qualifying round this year immediately received 800,000 USD . For each victory in this round, clubs pocketed 50,000 USD . Buriram won 3 matches in the qualifying round, receiving 150,000 USD .

Participating in the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League helped the Thai representative earn an additional 200,000 USD . Defeating Johor Darul Ta'zim, Buriram received a bonus of 50,000 USD from the AFC. When reaching the quarter-finals, the Thai League club pocketed an additional 400,000 USD .

Each quarter-final win earns the clubs an additional $50,000 . The teams will not receive the prize if the result is a draw.

From the quarter-finals onwards, the AFC Champions League matches will be held centrally in Saudi Arabia, from April 25 to May 4. The draw will take place on March 14.