Possible Presence of Neymar Jr in India for AFC Champions League Group Stage

The upcoming Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2023/24 might witness the renowned Brazilian football sensation, Neymar Jr, gracing the Indian grounds. This prospect arises from the grouping of Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal SFC and India’s Mumbai City FC in Group D. The AFC Champions League’s group stage operates on a home-and-away basis, potentially paving the way for Neymar to showcase his skills at Mumbai City FC’s home turf, the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune. For Indian enthusiasts, this could mark an unparalleled opportunity to catch a glimpse of Neymar’s performance on their home soil.

The AFC Champions League 2023/24 Group Stage draw unfolded at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, disclosing Al-Hilal’s strategic signings to reinforce their team, with Neymar as the standout name. The Saudi team, boasting an impressive track record in the AFC Champions League, securing four titles and five runner-up positions, has strategically bolstered their roster with accomplished players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Yassine Bounou, and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Mumbai City FC, earning a berth in the AFC Champions League group stage for the second consecutive season, booked their spot by clinching the League Shield in ISL 2022-23 and prevailing over Jamshedpur FC in the subsequent playoffs. However, changes loom in the AFC Champions League structure, with Indian clubs set to lose the privilege of a direct entry into the prestigious tournament from the following season onwards.

In parallel, the AFC Cup, the tournament’s second tier, features Indian clubs Odisha FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant placed in groups alongside counterparts from Bangladesh and Maldives. Odisha FC’s qualification route involved winning the Super Cup 2023 and a subsequent playoff victory against Gokulam Kerala. Mohun Bagan, the ISL 2022-23 champions, navigated through playoffs against Hyderabad FC, Nepal’s Machhindra FC, and Bangladesh’s Abahani Limited Dhaka. Triumph in the AFC Cup groups secures advancement to the inter-zone play-off semifinals. Odisha FC’s home matches are slated for the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, while Mohun Bagan will call the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan their home base.

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