Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of the Al Nassr fleet landed in China, as their first friendly against Shanghai Shenhua knocked on the door. Fans mobbed the Portuguese superstar and Chinese celebrities rushed to welcome him. However, it was not CR7 who seemed to have won the heart of a particular Chinese fan. Rather, it was Al Nassr’s 37-year-old reserve goalkeeper, Waleed Abdullah. Fuelling the fan’s mirth, he twinned with Abdullah, wearing the same shoes as him!
It is not certain if Waleed Abdullah will start alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. against the Shanghai-based club. But he had quite a time at the Shanghai airport, getting a celebrity’s reception.
Not CR7, but his Al Nassr pal acknowledges a fan with a ‘wink’!
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The Chinese supporter’s admission to meeting with Waleed Abdullah has instantly become a superhit on the web. “I took a hot photo with a friend of Cristiano Ronaldo, he had the same shoes as me, I told him the same shoes and he also said the same shoes with a smile and pointed at me with his thumb and a wink,” the unnamed fan exclaimed, recalling the interaction with Abdullah. Anyhow, the same fan is likely not to witness the 37-year-old’s action at the Al Nassr’s goal against Shanghai Shenhua, if the reserve goalie is given the chance.
مشجع صيني:
"التقطت صورة ساخنه مع صديق كريستيانو رونالدو ، كان لديه نفس الأحذية مثلي ، قلت له نفس الأحذية وقال أيضاً نفس الأحذية بإبتسامة وأشار لي بـ ابهامه مع غمزه" 😂♥️ pic.twitter.com/9QjTfB8wj6
— موسى (@MousaQi) January 22, 2024
Al Nassr will reportedly deploy its unregistered goalie David Ospina to guard the post during the Chinese friendlies. This is a move to analyze the veteran’s performance and decide if the club should permanently register him. Meanwhile, in what could be a terrible blow to thousands of Chinese supporters, Cristiano Ronaldo is also pegged to miss the friendlies because of injury concerns. These woes loom over the hosts, despite their plans to surprise the 5x-Ballon d’Or winner.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is at the risk of missing Chinese fans’ love
During the Al Nassr-Shanghai Shenhua match, fans will reportedly raise 40,000 banners with Cristiano Ronaldo’s name and jersey number emblazoned on it, at the Shenzhen City Stadium. However, the China tour’s organizer has recently said Ronaldo is ‘experiencing some pain.’ This comes after rumors and reports said the Al Nassr skipper might miss the Chinese friendlies and Riyadh Season Cup outing because of an injury. Nevertheless, they have faith in Al Nassr’s recovery procedures. They expect the superstar to not disappoint an effervescent Chinese crowd.
READ MORE: 2 Reasons Why Al Nassr vs Inter Miami Won’t Be Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi’s ‘Last Dance’
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Either way, Al Nassr is getting all the spotlight and appreciation from around the world. Not so long ago, a Saudi Arabian goalkeeper like Waleed Abdullah might not have gotten a superstar reception outside the Middle East. But thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence, Al Nassr is now a hub of well-known global stars. Previously lesser-known and under-appreciated players like Abdullah are now getting the respect and admiration they deserve.
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