Cristiano Ronaldo greeted by thousands of fans outside Delta Hotel ahead of Portugal match
The 41-year-old soccer icon arrived in Toronto Wednesday to face Croatia in a World Cup Round of 32 match; ticket prices have skyrocketed on resale platforms.
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Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Toronto on Wednesday to an enormous welcome, with thousands of supporters gathering outside the Delta Hotel to greet the Portuguese national team.
The world's most-followed person on social media, with nearly 700 million Instagram followers, touched down at Toronto Pearson International Airport in the afternoon. Fans briefly stopped traffic on Highway 427 near Dundas Street to catch a glimpse of the team's bus as it headed downtown.
Just after 9 p.m., Ronaldo stepped onto a balcony overlooking Bremner Boulevard, waving and pointing to supporters below. He spent a few minutes with teammates before heading inside, then posted on social media: "Toronto, estamos prontos!" ("Toronto, we are ready.").
Hundreds more gathered at Centennial Park in Etobicoke on Wednesday evening to watch the team's practice session.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo is one of the oldest players in this year's tournament. Speculation that this could be his final World Cup has fuelled fan frenzy. Ticket prices for Thursday's match have skyrocketed on resale platforms, with average prices for the cheapest seats crossing $3,000.
Thursday's Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia is estimated to draw a global audience of one billion viewers—potentially the most-watched sporting event ever on Canadian soil. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. at Toronto Stadium.
