Cristiano Ronaldo shook the city of Tehran, capital of Iran, this Monday (18). The Portuguese striker drew a crowd wherever he went on his arrival in the city, along with his teammates. Al Nassr who will face the local Persépolis on Tuesday (19), in the Asian Champions League.
Hundreds of fans literally ran after the bus carrying the Saudi Arabian team delegation, looking for Cristiano Ronaldo. Many carried banners and photos of the Portuguese player, chanting in reference to the star. Some children cried as the bus passed.
A group even invaded the hotel where the Portuguese and other members of the Al Nassr delegation are staying. They passed the police and took over the hall and corridors of the Espians Palace Hotel. They sang “Ronaldo, Ronaldo”, hoping to see the striker.
This is Cristiano Ronaldo’s first trip to Iran. Still at the airport, he was awaited by many fans and local authorities. From them, he received a traditional Persian rug as a gift.
The match between the Iranian and Saudi teams in Saudi Arabia, in the city of Riyadh, is scheduled for November 27th. Both games are valid for the group stage of the continental competition.
These games became viable thanks to the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, following an agreement brokered by China earlier this year. The longtime rivals severed ties in 2016 after an angry mob stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran to protest Saudi Arabia’s execution of a Shiite cleric.
Until then, teams from both countries faced each other on neutral territory. The last edition of the tournament that featured games involving Iranian and Saudi teams at home took place in 2015.