Cristiano Ronaldo takes centre stage at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Human chatter, the odd barks from dogs, calming vibrations of the mini water features and buzzing from cicadas – these are the usual sounds heard on regular days at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

But on Friday, there was an unfamiliar cry of “Siu” that reverberated around the area as more than 50 fans and about 200 beneficiaries of the NParks-Peter Lim Scholarship welcomed football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Singapore’s first Unesco World Heritage Site.

“Siu”, which means “yes” in Spanish, has become the 38-year-old Portuguese forward’s iconic roar whenever he scores a goal.