Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Cristiano Ronaldo, the new superstar of the Saudi league, showed on tour in Japan that his popularity remains sky-high.

Ronaldo and his Al Nassr team are touring Japan where he has been idolized throughout his career.

Even before he appeared for a warmup, the fans were cheering for him at Yanmar Stadium in Osaka. When he took to the pitch, thousands of cameras captured his image.

On Tuesday, Al Nassr played Paris Saint-Germain, another team with a high profile, featuring Brazilian star Neymar.

While Ronaldo started Tuesday’s game, the injured Neymar remained on the bench and the loudest cheers were for the Portuguese star, whose every move had the fans in a frenzy, especially when he tried a trademark overhead kick that went narrowly wide. Al Nassr drew 0-0 with PSG.

This is Ronaldo’s fifth visit to Japan in seven years since. Last time, he participated in the Club World Cup as a member of Spain’s Real Madrid and achieved a hat trick in the final against Japanese team Kashima Antlers.

“It’s always a pleasure to be here in Japan,” Ronaldo said in an interview. “It’s great to be part of this journey representing Al Nassr and I’m happy to be here.”

Celebrity Kim Kardashian took her soccer fan son Saint to Japan to watch Ronaldo in action.

Al Nassr will face Inter Milan in Osaka on Thursday.