LOCAL soccer fans will soon have the chance to witness the unmatched skills of soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo next month in Shenzhen. The Portuguese legend and his Al-Nassr F.C. will compete against two Chinese Super League (CSL) teams in two friendly matches at the Universiade Center in Longgang District. According to an announcement by the 2024 Glory Soccer Tour, Al-Nassr F.C. from the Saudi Pro League in Saudi Arabia will face off against Shanghai Shenhua F.C. on Jan. 24 and then Zhejiang F.C. on Jan. 28. 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. While playing for Juventus at the time, Ronaldo scored a free-kick during the game. Since joining Al-Nassr F.C. a year ago, Ronaldo has continued to showcase his soccer prowess. In the Saudi Pro League, he topped the rankings with 16 goals and eight assists, proving that he remains a potent force on the soccer field. On Dec. 12, Ronaldo scored his 50th goal of the calendar year as Al-Nassr advanced to the semifinals of the Saudi King Cup with a 5-2 victory against rival Al-Shabab. The CSL stands as the premier professional soccer tier in China. Among the 16 teams in the 2023 season, Zhejiang F.C. secured the second runner-up position, while Shanghai Shenhua F.C. finished in fifth place when the CSL concluded Nov. 4. Time: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24 (Shanghai Shenhua), Jan. 28 (Zhejiang) Booking: WeChat miniprogram “貓眼電影演出玩樂|電影票演唱會” (search keyword “榮耀巡回賽”) Venue: Shenzhen Universiade Center, Longgang District (深圳大運中心) Metro: Line 16 to Universiade Center Station (大運中心站), Exit C (Cao Zhen) | 