Hundreds of Ronaldo fans climb 25–foot fence at Centennial Park for final Portugal practice
Portugal's training session in Toronto on Saturday drew supporters so eager to glimpse the 41-year-old star that roughly two dozen scaled the baseball diamond fence.
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Hundreds of Cristiano Ronaldo supporters gathered at Centennial Park on Saturday as Portugal held its final training session before departing for Dallas to face Spain in the Round of 16.
When the 41-year-old stepped off the team bus, he acknowledged the crowd with a wave before heading inside for pre-training treatment. But that brief appearance wasn't enough for many fans.
Some supporters climbed to the top of a 25-foot baseball fence on the north side of the training grounds in hopes of catching a glimpse of one of soccer's biggest stars. At one point, roughly two dozen fans were perched atop the fence, craning for a better view while Portugal trained behind closed doors.
Portugal booked its ticket to the Round of 16 by beating Croatia 2–1 in an epic match Thursday in Toronto. The team's stay in the city energized Portuguese supporters and local businesses. Ronaldo scored the opening goal in that victory, keeping his pursuit of another FIFA World Cup alive as what many believe could be his final tournament at age 41.
