Cristiano Ronaldo absent from 2026-27 Champions League draw as old clip reappears

Confusion surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported appearance at the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League draw has been cleared up after the footage circulating online was found to be from 2024.

The Portugal forward, captain of Al Nassr and Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer, was widely said to have attended Thursday’s ceremony in Monaco after images and video appeared on social media.

However, the footage does not show Ronaldo at the 2026-27 draw. It was originally published by the official UEFA Champions League account on X in 2024, when Ronaldo did attend the draw ceremony that year.

The clip shows Ronaldo arriving at the event dressed smartly and signing shirts and pieces of paper for supporters. It was shared again in the hours before this year’s ceremony, prompting a wave of discussion among users on X.

“ When Ronaldo arrives 😮‍💨📽️ 2024#UCLdraw”

Some newspapers and websites initially reported the video as evidence that Ronaldo had appeared at the latest draw. Further checks established that the post and footage dated back two years, meaning they had been recirculated without their original context.

The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League draw is taking place on Thursday, 27 August 2026, in Monaco. The league phase is scheduled to begin on 8 September.

Ronaldo is instead preparing to feature for Al Nassr against Al Taawoun on Friday, in the fourth round of the Saudi Roshan League. His immediate focus therefore remains on club football in Saudi Arabia rather than the ceremony in Monaco.

The story has attracted particular interest because of Ronaldo’s long association with the UEFA Champions League. He is the competition’s leading goalscorer, with 140 goals, and has won the trophy five times.

Ronaldo lifted the title once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid. His record in the competition has made any apparent return to a Champions League event a major talking point, even though he has not been involved in the latest draw.

The original video was available through the official UEFA Champions League account, but its 2024 date was overlooked when the footage began circulating again. That led to the mistaken impression that Ronaldo had made a fresh appearance ahead of the 2026-27 competition.

Ronaldo’s reported substitution during Al Nassr’s comeback victory had also been the subject of separate discussion, with coverage focusing on the emotion and surprise surrounding that decision. However, it was unrelated to the misleading Champions League draw footage.