MADEIRA, March 30 — Madeira has renamed its airport in honour of Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday but a new bust of one of the best players in the world drew ridicule on social media.
The Portugal and Real Madrid frontman arrived on the Atlantic Ocean island, where he grew up, for a ceremony to rename the airport in its capital Funchal “Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo.”
A bust of the Real Madrid forward was also unveiled, showing him with a cheeky smile, but many fans on social media took an instant dislike to it.
The renaming ceremony followed Portugal playing its first match on the island for 16 years, the hosts losing 3-2 to Sweden despite an early Ronaldo goal.
Ronaldo, 31, was accompanied to the airport renaming by his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez and mother Maria, and told his audience he was always ready to praise Portugal in general, and Madeira in particular.
Not everyone on Madeira agrees with the decision to rename the airport after Ronaldo, but his national hero status was confirmed last summer when he lead Portugal to victory in the European Championships. — Reuters
