The international footballer Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Indonesia, marking his first visit since 2013.
Cristiano Ronaldo, currently playing as a striker for Al Nassr in the Saudi Arabian League, is scheduled to arrive in Jakarta on Tuesday, 18 February, according to the sports news outlet Bola.com. He will stay at a five-star hotel in Central Jakarta and have dinner with Indonesia’s Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
On Wednesday, Ronaldo—who has previously played for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus—will depart for Kupang via Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta. On the same day, he will visit a cancer hospital in Kupang.
That afternoon, the 40-year-old footballer will fly to Bali. However, on Thursday, he will return to Kupang to attend a charity event alongside Indrawati, Chilean-American actor Cote de Pablo, and Susy Maria Katipana, Director of the Graha Kasih Indonesia Foundation. The event will take place at the Kupang Millennium Hall Convention, where Ronaldo will donate 14 types of social assistance, including aid for schools, churches, and orphanages.
According to the Acting Governor of East Nusa Tenggara, Andriko Noto Susanto, Ronaldo’s visit was confirmed by the Graha Kasih Indonesia Foundation through the Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Youth and Sports Agency.
“So today [Monday, 17 February] I was informed that the international footballer [Cristiano Ronaldo] will visit East Nusa Tenggara in the context of a humanitarian mission. The plan is to arrive in Jakarta tomorrow [Tuesday, 18 February],” said Susanto to the press on Monday.
Following the announcement of Ronaldo’s visit, many netizens expressed their excitement about welcoming the football star. Social media platform X was flooded with humorous comments from Indonesian fans.
“Stop by here, bro, try the cilok,” wrote one netizen on X.
Due to this visit, Ronaldo was unable to play for Al Nassr in their 2024–2025 Asian Champions League group stage match against Persepolis. In his absence, Al Nassr only managed a 0-0 draw at Azadi Stadium on Monday.