Cristiano Ronaldo now has an international airport named after him. The Real Madrid striker was joined on Wednesday by dozens of guests and hundreds of fans in his native Madeira Islands for an official ceremony renaming the local airport as Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo. Portugal’s president and the prime minister flew to the island and unveiled a commemorative plaque outside the terminal entrance, above a bust of Ronaldo.
The 32-year-old Ronaldo is a local hero in Madeira, where he is seen as a rags-to-riches success. He already has a statue, a museum and a hotel named after him in Madeira. “You know how proud I am of my roots, my homeland,” Ronaldo, wearing a dark suit and tie, said in a speech.
The four-time player of the year has made a record 138 national team appearances for Portugal and is the team’s top scorer with 71 goals. The change was decided by the Madeira regional government after Portugal won the 2016 European Championship.
