Tickets for Ronaldo ‘China Tour’ sell out in hours, but Messi fans mock time it took
- Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al Nassr side will play games in Shanghai and Shenzhen this month
- Portuguese striker’s fans express delight at snapping up seats, but Lionel Messi supporters make fun of ‘scramble for tickets’
Chinese football fans raced to snap up tickets to see Cristiano Ronaldo play a rare match in their home country, with multiple online platforms selling out within a few hours.
Ronaldo is immensely popular in football-mad China, where many supporters have grown weary of dismal national team performances and the corruption-ridden domestic game.
The Portuguese star’s current club, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, last month announced a “China Tour” featuring friendlies against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang FC in the southern city of Shenzhen on January 24 and 28 respectively.
Fans frantically vied with each other as the coveted tickets went on sale online a little after 11am on Wednesday, with multiple platforms showing no available tickets by the evening.
Several media outlets reported that seats in all but the two most expensive categories had sold out “within seconds”.
Amid a sea of disappointment on social media, some lucky buyers voiced unbridled joy.