Toronto crowds turn out for Ronaldo before Portugal-Croatia match

Hundreds of fans gathered across Toronto on Wednesday as Portugal arrived for its World Cup round-of-32 match against Croatia, with much of the attention fixed on Cristiano Ronaldo. Al Jazeera reported that the scene underscored both Ronaldo’s pull at age 41 and the importance of Portugal playing in a city with a large Portuguese-Canadian community.

According to Al Jazeera, supporters lined parts of the route from Pearson airport, crowded downtown intersections and waited outside Portugal’s hotel for brief looks at the team bus and Ronaldo. Biker groups also gathered along the Gardiner Expressway as the squad headed toward the Delta Hotel, the outlet reported.

The buildup continued at Centennial Park in Etobicoke, where Portugal trained after arriving in the city. Al Jazeera reported that fans wearing red No. 7 shirts waited outside the grounds while Ronaldo and his teammates prepared for Thursday evening’s match.

Return after 17 years

Ronaldo last played in Toronto in August 2009, when Real Madrid faced Toronto FC in a friendly, Al Jazeera reported. Portugal’s match against Croatia is being staged at the same stadium, giving local fans another chance to see him in the city after a 17-year gap.

Al Jazeera reported that Wednesday’s public holiday made it easier for supporters to come out. The outlet also noted that this World Cup is likely to be Ronaldo’s last, and Thursday’s game could be his final World Cup appearance if Portugal are eliminated.

For many fans, watching from outside was the only realistic option. Al Jazeera reported that the sold-out match had drawn resale prices averaging 2,500 to 3,500 Canadian dollars during the past week, with some listings as high as 30,000 Canadian dollars, or about $21,000. The outlet noted that Ontario law bars third-party resale above face value.

Joey, a 33-year-old restaurant worker in Toronto’s Little Portugal who declined to give his last name, told Al Jazeera he could not justify the cost of a ticket because of family responsibilities. He said it still felt remarkable to have Portugal playing in Toronto.

A community moment

Al Jazeera described the match as especially meaningful for Portuguese-Canadians in Toronto, a community shaped by migration that began in the 1950s. The outlet reported that the city last year opened the Azores Parkette in Little Portugal to honor 18 men from Sao Miguel in the Azores who arrived in Halifax and began new lives in Canada.

Shannon Medeiros, 46, told Al Jazeera that football has been central to her family since her father arrived in Canada as a teenager in the 1950s. She said she now coaches her two sons, following the example of her father, who introduced her to the game when she was young.

Medeiros also told Al Jazeera that Portuguese supporters in Toronto show pride in their heritage through jerseys and flags. The outlet reported that during the World Cup, Little Portugal has displayed flags combining Canadian and Portuguese symbols on homes and windows.

Fans without tickets planned to watch at bars, public screenings and fan festivals, Al Jazeera reported. The match also gives Ronaldo another chance to score his first knockout-stage World Cup goal, after what the outlet described as a subdued start to the tournament for the Portugal captain.

Josh Madeiros, a 35-year-old Portuguese-Canadian fan, told Al Jazeera he expected Portugal to beat Croatia, though he acknowledged the team had not been at its best. He also said Ronaldo, despite being in his forties, remained his favorite player and the greatest of all time.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.