Chinese fan cycles for 13,000 km in 6 months to meet Ronaldo

A Chinese fan cycled all the way from China to Saudi Arabia to meet his idol Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo courtesy of the fan

As reported by Record on Monday, the fan embarked on the journey from China to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after realizing he did not have enough money to afford a plane ticket. He chose to travel the extensive distance by bicycle, covering more than double the 5,700 km direct flight path.

Upon hearing of the fan's astounding efforts, Al Nassr and Ronaldo arranged a special meeting with him. The fan had his shirt signed by Ronaldo and took a photo with the football superstar.

"My dream is true love and freedom," read a banner in Chinese that the fan brought along during the meeting with Ronaldo.

Ronaldo has a massive global following, with around 638 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook, 113 million on X and 65 million on YouTube.

The Chinese fan poses with Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, with a banner saying "My dream is true love and freedom". Photo courtesy of Instagram/cristianosclub

Ronaldo is currently the top scorer of all time, with 907 goals, followed by Lionel Messi with 849.

He also leads in Champions League goals with 140 and international goals with 133.

Beyond individual records, Ronaldo has won Euro 2016, five Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, three Premier League titles and five Ballon d'Or.

Since joining Al Nassr in January 2023, Ronaldo has continued to build on his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. According to Forbes, he remains the highest-paid athlete in the world, earning approximately $200 million annually.