Ronaldo fan completes 13,000 km journey to meet idol

BEIJING (Agencies): One Chinese fan cycled 13,000 kilometres from China to Saudi Arabia to meet his idol. The 24-year-old fan, Gong, began his journey on March 18 from Anhui province and met Ronaldo outside the Al Nassr Football Club on October 20, according to the South China Morning Post. Gong’s route took him north to Beijing before heading west through Xinjiang and Kazakhstan, crossing six additional countries, including Georgia, Iran, and Qatar, to finally reach Riyadh. The idea for the cycling journey emerged after Ronaldo cancelled a trip to China in February due to injury. Gong packed two power banks, a tent, cooking utensils, clothing, and other essentials for the trek. His seven-month journey was marked by challenges, including language barriers, high food prices, and the physical strain of long-distance cycling. In areas with expensive food, he often subsisted on bread and used translation software to communicate.

In August, while in Armenia, Gong experienced a high fever and collapsed on the roadside but received free treatment at a local hospital. Upon arriving in Riyadh on October 10, Gong could not meet Ronaldo immediately as the player was in Europe. However, Al Nassr staff assured him of a brief meeting, and he was able to watch Ronaldo play live thanks to a ticket offered by another fan for the Al Nassr vs. Al Shabab match. When they finally met, Ronaldo shook Gong’s hand, hugged him, and signed his No. 7 Al Nassr jersey, along with a banner featuring the names of Gong’s friends and an inspirational quote.