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| Juventus soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal arrives at Juventus J Medical for medical tests in Turin, Italy, on July 13. EPA-Yonhap |
By Ko Dong-hwan
If world football icon Cristiano Ronaldo thought his upcoming match against Korean professional footballers was manageable, he now faces a game in the rain.
The forecast came after the exhibition match between the Italian Serie A's Juventus and K League All-Star team on July 26 was announced. The action takes place at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo District at 8 p.m.
The Korean national meteorological agency says it will rain for 60 percent of the day.
Google's weather service forecasts 90 percent of precipitation, along with thunder and lightning.
The monsoon season started in Korea earlier this month. So far, the nation has had sporadic rain, concentrated over just a few hours. But rain is forecast for July 24 and 26 everywhere across the country except Jeju Island.
Northbound typhoon Danas hit the southern Korean Peninsula on July 20, bringing heavy rain to Jeju and Busan. The rain disappeared the next day morning before hitting the country's mainland.
Soccer fans said the forecast meant the Portuguese star "is bringing with him the god of downpour." The expression derives from a wordplay using Korean word for downpour, which is "howu." This is the same word Koreans use when calling Ronaldo ― "the god of howu," because he shouts "howu!" every time he celebrates a goal.
His actions have become his signature and something for international fans to mock.
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| Ajax's Matthijs de Ligt, right, fights for the ball with Cristiano Ronaldo during the Champions League quarter-final, first leg, match between Ajax and Juventus in Amsterdam. AP-Yonhap |
Korean news reports said the forecast was "nothing much to worry about because monsoon rain usually falls for a short time and doesn't cause much trouble to football audiences."
The Korean football league K League previously said Juventus would bring all its top players. The Korean authority's agreement with the Italian club also guarantees Ronaldo's appearance.
Juventus played against South Korea in an exhibition match in Seoul in 1996.
Ronaldo's last visit to Seoul was in July 2007 when he played for English Premier League team Manchester United in an exhibition match against FC Seoul. He scored one goal and made two assists, contributing to his team's 4-0 win.
Ronaldo, 34, was scheduled to visit Seoul in July 2018 for a corporate promotional tour, but the trip was canceled at the last minute after he left Spanish club Real Madrid to join Juventus.
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or award five times as the world's best player and is considered one of the highest-paid and most marketable athletes.
He contributed to Real Madrid winning two Spanish La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns. In his first season in Italy in 2018-19, Juventus won its eighth consecutive Serie A title.
