January 03, (THEWILL) – Football fans in China rushed to purchase tickets on Wednesday, to see Cristiano Ronaldo play in two rare matches in the country later this month. The Portuguese superstar’s Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr, announced a “China Tour” including friendlies against Chinese clubs Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang FC on January 24 and 28 respectively.
Multiple online ticketing platforms reported sold out seats within hours of tickets going on sale shortly after 11 am local time Wednesday. According to several media outlets, all but the two most expensive ticket categories were snapped up “within seconds,” leaving many fans disappointed amidst the frenzy.
Some lucky ticket buyers expressed joy at securing seats to see one of football’s greatest players on his first matches in China. Ronaldo remains immensely popular despite China’s national team struggles and corruption scandals marring domestic leagues.
Last year, his long-time rival, Lionel Messi, drew significant interest when he led Argentina to a 2-0 friendly win over Australia in Beijing. Some Chinese fans mocked what they see as weaker demand for Ronaldo’s visit compared to Messi’s last year.
The two scheduled matches provide a rare opportunity for Chinese fans to see the five-time Ballon d’Or winner play live in their country at this late stage in his storied career. With tickets sold out swiftly, excitement is high amongst lucky attendees to witness Ronaldo’s China debut this month.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
