Ronaldo scores two goals as Al Nassr win AFC Champions League tie in Qatar

Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar – On a cool, precocious autumn nighttime successful Qatar, thousands of shot fans converged upon the Al Bayt Stadium to drawback a glimpse of 1 of the biggest sporting icons connected the satellite – Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese superstar, 39, and his Saudi shot nine Al Nassr were successful municipality to look Qatar’s Al Gharafa Sports Club successful an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite Group B lucifer connected Monday.

Despite the stadium’s 50-kilometre (31 miles) region from Qatar’s superior Doha, the precocious 7pm (16:00 GMT) weeknight kickoff and the competition’s comparatively little entreaty to the mean shot instrumentality successful these parts, the lawsuit drew a staggering 37,000 spectators, oregon 12 percent of the full colonisation of the Gulf state.

Football fans astatine the AFC Champions League Elite Group B lucifer betwixt Al Gharafa SC of Qatar and Al Nassr FC astatine the Al Bayt Stadium successful Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]

‘Ronaldo, tin I person your shirt?’

Among them were a fewer 1000 loyal Al Gharafa fans and a fewer 100 travelling supporters backing the visiting squad – but a ample bulk were unaligned spectators who simply turned up for a uncommon glimpse of Ronaldo, who is, undoubtedly, 1 of the astir recognisable, charismatic and iconic sports personalities of the 21st century.

Foremost among the fans were waves of children of varying ages, nationalities and footballing loyalties.

Replica Ronaldo jerseys from his assorted shot clubs – from Al Nassr to Real Madrid and Manchester United, arsenic good arsenic his nationalist squad Portugal – were communal crossed the immense stands astatine Al Bayt Stadium, worn by kids and adults alike.

“I person been a Ronaldo instrumentality my full life, truthful I came to spot him and inquire him for his shirt,” Noufil Abdel Malik told Al Jazeera earlier kickoff.

Malik, conscionable 12, had secured a spot down the Al Nassr seat and held up a motion asking for Ronaldo’s shirt.

Noufil Abdel Malik holds up a motion for Al Nassr guardant Cristiano Ronaldo earlier kickoff [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]

Al Nassr prima shines successful important AFC Champions League triumph

While nary of the fans were fortunate capable to person Ronaldo’s garment thrown astatine them, the Al Nassr skipper gave the spectators worth for money, putting connected a objective match-winning show with 2 goals arsenic his Saudi nine prevailed with a 3-1 triumph connected the night.

The effect brought Al Nassr connected the brink of qualification for the competition’s circular of 16. The Saudi Pro League nine request 2 points from their last 3 radical games to advancement successful the competition.

After the win, Ronaldo said that his fans, particularly the younger ones, served arsenic a immense root of information to proceed playing the satellite game, contempt the evergreen prima striker turning 40 connected February 5.

“It’s inactive my information to marque my fans happy, particularly kids arsenic I person a fewer kids of my ain astatine home,” Ronaldo told Al Jazeera successful his post-match comments.

“The passionateness that children person is genuine. They emotion shot truthful I conscionable effort to bash my champion [for them]. Score goals and marque my squad win.”

Young fans of the Portuguese guardant were contiguous successful their thousands astatine the AFC Champions League Elite lucifer [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]

‘Being successful Qatar is ever good’

The lucifer marked Ronaldo’s instrumentality to Qatar for the archetypal clip since the FIFA World Cup 2022, wherever helium led Portugal to the quarterfinals.

The 1.87m guardant admitted his instrumentality was a blessed 1 arsenic helium added to his tally of a satellite grounds 915 elder vocation goals for nine and country.

“Being backmost successful Qatar is ever good,” helium said.

“To spot the passionateness that radical person for the club, for shot and for me. I americium blessed that I was capable to people 2 goals contiguous and I americium going backmost to Saudi Arabia a truly blessed man.”

Harshveer Singh, an eight-year-old Ronaldo fan, was 1 of the thousands of young supporters who came to Al Bayt Stadium dressed successful Al Nassr’s bluish and yellowish kit with Ronaldo’s sanction and celebrated fig 7 emblazoned connected the back.

“When I recovered retired past week that Ronaldo volition beryllium successful Qatar, I asked my dada to bring maine here,” Singh said.

“I americium thrilled to ticker him play live.”

Eight-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo instrumentality Harshveer Singh astatine the Al Bayt Stadium successful Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]

Young fans delighted to spot Ronaldo live

Even younger fans, galore of whom astir apt stayed up good past their bedtime, watched connected successful a daze arsenic Ronaldo flaunted his trademark solemnisation arsenic the dependable of “siu” (roughly translated to “yes” successful the Portuguese language) reverberated astir the stadium.

Five-year-old Shahem al-Salem showed nary signs of sleepiness adjacent astatine 9pm – the excitement of watching the Ronaldo acquisition from a fewer metres distant keeping the kindergarten pupil awake.

“I don’t deliberation I’ll spell to schoolhouse tomorrow,” helium remarked shyly portion glancing astatine his father, who nodded on happily.

Shahem al-Salem was thrilled to spot Cristiano Ronaldo play unrecorded for the archetypal clip astatine the Al Bayt Stadium successful Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]

For a lucifer involving a Qatari nine playing astatine home, the assemblage was unabashedly supportive of the visiting squad and for astir of the game, it seemed that neither the section fans nor the organisers seemed to instrumentality offence.

“Ronaldo has the powerfulness to bring radical retired of their homes and capable up stadiums nary substance wherever helium plays,” said Abdallah Abdel Razeq, an 18-year-old Lebanon national, aft the match.

“I tin guarantee you that retired of the 37,000 radical successful the stadium, astatine slightest 35,000 came lone to spot him.”

Football instrumentality Abdallah Abdel Razeq (right) and his cousins aft the lucifer astatine the Al Bayt Stadium successful Al Khor, Qatar [Hafsa Adil/Al Jazeera]