Ronaldo fever hits Toronto ahead of Portugal vs Croatia World Cup clash
Key takeaways
- The last time the football icon was in Toronto was August 2009 when Real Madrid played a friendly against Toronto FC.
- Fast forward 17 years, and the visuals are almost identical, give or take a few differences.
- The city was buzzing with Ronaldo fever right from the minute Portugal landed at Pearson airport early Wednesday afternoon.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The last time the football icon was in Toronto was August 2009 when Real Madrid played a friendly against Toronto FC.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo during training at Centennial Park, Toronto, on July 1, 2026 [Kevin Sousa/Reuters]By Anushe Engineer Published On 2 Jul 20262 Jul 2026Toronto, Canada – The year was 2009, and a sculpted, spiky-haired, 24-year-old Ronaldo was greeted by hundreds of adoring fans in Toronto dying to catch a glimpse of the newly signed Real Madrid superstar as he graced the city with his presence for the first time.
Fast forward 17 years, and the visuals are almost identical, give or take a few differences.