Iranians have discovered few causes to rejoice of late, with the financial system on its knees and their nation below worldwide sanctions. That helps clarify the flurry of pleasure greeting the arrival of one of many largest stars in world soccer, as Cristiano Ronaldo will get set for a debut on Iranian soil.

A non-public jet carrying the Portuguese five-times world participant of the 12 months and his teammates from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr membership touched down in Tehran on Monday forward of their AFC Champions League match in opposition to Iran’s Persepolis on Tuesday night.

Ronaldo, now a 38-year-old veteran, loved a glittering profession with Manchester United and Actual Madrid, in addition to the Portuguese nationwide crew, earlier than signing for Al-Nassr in December for a reported $200mn a 12 months. He has greater than 30 main trophies to his title and is world soccer’s report males’s worldwide goalscorer — a title he took in 2021 from Iran’s Ali Daei.

Even opposing followers take notice after they see a participant identified for his scoring prowess, free-kicks and trademark mid-air pirouette celebration line up in opposition to their favorite crew. However for the Islamic republic’s predominantly younger inhabitants, floor down and with an unhappy thirst for pleasure and leisure, the anticipation is even better.

“Ronaldo is among the world’s most vital folks, and probably the most adopted particular person on Instagram,” mentioned Pejman Raahbar, chief editor of the Varzesh 3 sports activities web site. “In Iran, visits by main worldwide sports activities groups or high-profile footballers are uncommon, which is why this has generated a lot pleasure.”

Soccer is massively widespread in Iran and the nationwide crew has been a daily on the Fifa World Cup. Ronaldo scored when Portugal beat Iran on the 2006 event in Germany.

Persepolis, Iran’s most profitable crew, has a big and passionate fan base. However they are going to be absent on Tuesday, with the conflict on the 100,000-seater Azadi stadium to be held behind closed doorways resulting from a ban by the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) over licensing laws.

The ban on supporters is a big disappointment, however soccer followers are nonetheless hotly anticipating the arrival of the Portuguese star. “I all the time play as Ronaldo in Fifa video video games,” mentioned Rayan, 27. “Once I was youthful I used to direct message him so much, hoping we’d make associates and he’d purchase me an island,” he joked.

Iranians have developed a tradition of humour to deal with their social predicaments, with even probably the most delicate topic addressed with levity and jokes that rapidly go viral. Ronaldo’s arrival has been no exception.

Messages have circulated on social media about what kind of haircut Ronaldo will sport, and whether or not his associate Georgina must cross by way of the ladies’s gate on the airport or be prevented from sharing a room as a result of they don’t seem to be formally married.

Ronaldo will spend about 36 hours in Tehran, with a whole flooring on the Espinas Palace Tehran resort allotted to his Saudi crew, and a set reserved for his or her star participant. Iranian soccer followers, some with Ronaldo’s CR7 branding on their shirts, gathered on the airport and some thousand extra exterior the luxurious resort on Monday within the hope of catching a glimpse of their idol.

Ghazal, 25, sighed on the intense pleasure she felt forward of the match. “I’m a Persepolis fan, however I’ve additionally all the time admired Ronaldo. I’m formally torn between who to help now.”

The go to by Al-Nassr is the primary to Iran by a Saudi membership in seven years. The 2 counties have been bitter regional rivals, though a shock reconciliation in March below the auspices of China has helped to defuse tensions.

Ronaldo is among the crown jewels in Saudi Arabia’s push into the world’s hottest sport. Its main golf equipment spent extra on gamers this summer season than these in virtually each main league in soccer’s European heartland.

Saudi golf equipment spent a internet €891mn in the latest switch window, in accordance with transfermarkt.co.uk, underlining the nation’s ambitions to grow to be a drive in world soccer. Brazil’s Neymar, France’s Karim Benzema and Senegal’s Sadio Mané are among the many new faces who’ve signed big-money offers to play within the Saudi Professional League this season.

Newcastle United, the English Premier League aspect, has additionally returned to the profitable Uefa Champions League, after being purchased by a consortium that features the Saudi Public Funding Fund. The AFC Championship is the area’s equal of Europe’s most prestigious event.

Ronaldo’s go to has not been with out its controversies. When Iran’s tourism minister joked that the participant must discover an alternative choice to messaging his 605mn followers on Instagram, the nation’s former communications minister mentioned this was a reminder that authorities ought to look to ease Iranians’ entry to social media.

Instagram, together with Telegram, WhatsApp and a bunch of different web sites and apps, stay blocked within the Islamic Republic. In true Iranian type, nonetheless, Ronaldo’s Instagram feed was this week inundated with recommendation on the right way to navigate Iran, together with ideas in Farsi about which non-public networks work finest to bypass the principles.