For years, gamers around the world have racked up goals with Cristiano Ronaldo in their favourite football video game franchises, celebrating with his iconic “siu” on virtual pitches.
But now, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is stepping into a very different kind of battle.
Instead of weaving past defenders and smashing in free-kicks, players can control Ronaldo in a fighting game, going head-to-head with seasoned warriors in the virtual world.
The Portuguese superstar has been announced as a playable character in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, an upcoming fighting game set to be released next month.
Ronaldo is one of the 15 playable characters in the game, developed by Japanese video game company SNK.
The Fatal Fury franchise was launched in 1991 and was one of the pioneers in the fighting game genre which gained popularity in the 1990s.
The trailer of the game shows the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star sporting a number seven shirt and a captain’s armband, using a blazing blue football to launch attacks on his opponent before enacting his signature celebration.
The original Fatal Fury game produced 11 sequels, the last of which was released in 1999.
City of the Wolves will be the first new game in the series in 26 years when it debuts on 24 April.
Capped 219 times by Portugal, Ronaldo’s character page describes him as “one of the top football players in the world”.
The game’s website adds: “He uses his time off to visit South Town to hone his new football skills. The various techniques he has developed playing football make him an unstoppable force, even to seasoned fighters.”
The Portugal captain, who plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, previously featured in the 2015 mobile runner game Ronaldo & Hugo: Superstar Skaters.
Fatal Fury developers SNK are majority owned by Misk Foundation, established by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2011.
