Hong Kong fans queue for opening of Cristiano Ronaldo exhibition

Visitors at the opening of the "CR7 LIFE Museum Hong Kong" at a luxury shopping mall posed next to life-sized statues of the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player, including one in mid-air celebration and another in traditional Saudi dress.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol... he's special," said 14-year-old Alvin Lai, who was first in a queue of more than 100 people.

"He's the most hardworking person out there," said university student Henry Singh.

"He's 40 years old and still going very strong."

Ronaldo signed a new two-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr last month, calling it a "new chapter" in an Instagram post.

Al Nassr are due to play in a pre-season tournament in Hong Kong next month.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo will be greeting fans at the museum "very soon", said Tomas Froes, a representative of the footballer's family office.

The 12,000 square feet (1,110 square metres) exhibition sends a "strong message for everyone to achieve their dreams", Froes told AFP.

Organisers have said the Hong Kong exhibition will run for a year before heading to mainland China.