Ronaldo to lead Juventus in clash with K League All Stars

Global football icon Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Juventus in a summer exhibition match in Seoul.

The K League, which governs professional football in Korea, announced Wednesday that its All-Star team will host the Italian Serie A champions at 8 p.m. on July 26 at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Ronaldo last visited Korea in July 2007 for an exhibition match with Manchester United. Ronaldo scored one goal and set up two others to lead Man United over FC Seoul 4-0 then.

The 34-year-old Portuguese star was scheduled to visit Korea last July on a corporate promotional tour, but the trip was canceled at the last minute, following his move from Real Madrid to Juventus.

Ronaldo, a five-time recipient of the Ballon d’Or award as the best player in the world, is also one of the highest-paid and most marketable athletes. He won three Premier League championships and the 2008 UEFA Champions League title with Man United. He then helped Real Madrid to two La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns. And in Ronaldo’s first season in Italy in 2018-19, Juventus captured its eighth consecutive Serie A title.

The K League said Juventus will bring all of its top players, and its agreement with the Italian club guarantees an appearance by Ronaldo during the match.

The K League added players on its All-Star team will be voted on by fans, with further details on the voting procedure to be determined later.

Juventus previously played the Korean national team in an exhibition in Seoul in 1996.

Yonhap