Two fans sued The Festa, accusing it of false advertising, and the Incheon District Court ruled the promoter should pay them 371 000 won each, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

No order was made against Ronaldo or his club.

South Korean fans’ frustration has led to the coining of an online phrase, “acting like Ronaldo”, to criticise someone who only seeks benefits without fulfilling promised action.

“If he had played just for 10 minutes, everyone would have walked home happy,” one poster wrote on the country’s largest portal site Naver.