By Jai Rai
Dubai: Dozens of eager fans lined up for hours ahead of Monday鈥檚 grand opening of the CR7 Life Museum, dedicated to football legend Cristiano Ronaldo. The 12,000 sq ft exhibition, the first of its kind outside of Portugal, offers a deep dive into the superstar鈥檚 illustrious career, showcasing his trophies, iconic jerseys, and personal memorabilia. Highlights include his 2008 Ballon d鈥橭r, Golden Boot awards and Fifa Club World Cup Golden Ball.. The museum is housed in a luxury shopping mall, where visitors gathered to pose with life-sized statues of Ronaldo 鈥 one capturing his signature mid-air goal celebration, and another depicting him in traditional Saudi attire.鈥淐ristiano Ronaldo is my idol鈥 he鈥檚 special,鈥 said 14-year-old Alvin Lai, who arrived early to be first in a queue of over 100 people. University student Henry Singh added, 鈥淗e鈥檚 the most hardworking person out there. He鈥檚 40 and still going very strong.鈥漅onaldo, who recently signed a two-year contract extension with Saudi club Al Nassr, referred to the move as a 鈥渘ew chapter鈥 in a recent Instagram post. The club is scheduled to play in a pre-season tournament in Hong Kong next month.Strong messageTomas Froes, a representative from Ronaldo鈥檚 family office, confirmed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be visiting the museum 鈥渧ery soon.鈥 He described the exhibit as 鈥渁 strong message for everyone to achieve their dreams.鈥漈he Hong Kong exhibition is set to run for one year before traveling to mainland China.Among the crowd was Johan Bihis, a tourist from the Philippines, who flew to Hong Kong specifically for the opening. 鈥淚 booked a flight as soon as I saw on social media the museum was coming,鈥 she told the South China Morning Post. 鈥淚 think this is going to get me closer to him, right? So I don鈥檛 need to fly all the way to Portugal. And I saw that some of the items in Portugal will be flown here also.鈥滱nother fan, 13-year-old Faith Chan, proudly wearing a Ronaldo jersey, said he admires the player鈥檚 dedication. 鈥淗e has passion for everything he does,鈥 Chan said, adding that he was especially excited to see Ronaldo鈥檚 club jerseys and trophies up close.With inputs from agencies.Luxury lifestyle: A look into Cristiano Ronaldo’s cars, mansions and hotels.From cleaning streets to football icon: Revisiting Cristiano Ronaldo’s inspiring journey.Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister clarifies on his absence at Diogo Jota’s funeral.Cristiano Ronaldo set to earn $645,000 a day? Star footballer signs new contract with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr