Madeira International Airport in Portugal is set to be renamed the Cristiano Ronaldo Airport to honour the Real Madrid footballer for his services to the region.
Ronaldo is expected to attend a ceremony outside the airport on Wednesday, a day after scoring the opening goal in a 3-2 friendly defeat to Sweden at the Estádio dos Barreiros in Funchal, his hometown.
Ronaldo's face has already been erected to the facade of the airport but the move to rename the facility as a whole has polarised politicians.
The Madeira regional government does not reportedly have the legal right to rename the airport, which has riled some detractors, according to ESPN FC. Furthermore, critics argue a more fitting tribute would be to name a sports facility after Ronaldo.
Miguel Albuquerque, president of the regional government of Madeira, countered this in Portuguese sports newspaper Abola recently by claiming those who question the move "lack education and dignity."
Albuquerque said: "It is deliberate to honour a great Madeiran, a great athlete, and the captain of the Portuguese national football team. Ronaldo is a great Portuguese."
Ronaldo, who has 71 international goals from 138 appearances for Portugal, is an avid promoter of Madeira which is said to have increased tourism to the area.