PORTUGUESE soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo is set to lead Al-Nassr FC in two friendly matches against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang Professional, two Chinese Super League clubs, at the Universiade Center in Longgang District tomorrow and Sunday.

This marks Ronaldo’s very first visit to Shenzhen, and his eighth visit to China. The soccer legend and his team arrived at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport on Sunday, kicking off the 2024 Glory Soccer Tour Al-Nassr China Tour.

Deng Hongfei, vice president of G.H.Y. Cultures & Media, the event organizer, stated in a media interview that Ronaldo will show up at the two matches in Shenzhen.

Although ticket prices for the two matches are expensive, with the highest at 4,580 yuan (US$636.43) and the lowest at 380 yuan, tickets for both matches had sold out two minutes after they became available, according to the ticketing website.

The soccer legend’s arrival in Shenzhen and the much-anticipated matches have also pulled up hotel bookings between today and Monday, especially near the Universiade Center, according to relevant data.

Travelers from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Guangzhou, and Chengdu have shown relatively high enthusiasm in hotel bookings.

Tourism industry insiders have said that the “sports event economy” integrates consumption in both sports and tourism, which not only directly drives local consumer spending, but also helps enhance the city’s influence.

Li Jiwei, vice president of Meituan Research Institute, said the “Cristiano Ronaldo effect” will attract a large number of fans from out of town to Shenzhen, effectively driving the growth of hospitality, transportation, and catering industries in the city.

Ronaldo, renowned for his stints with Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, has visited China with his previous teams many times. His most recent visit was in 2019 during a match between two Italian Serie A giants — Juventus and Inter Milan — in Nanjing.

(Zhang Yu)