Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face off against each other when Paris Saint-Germain and the Saudi All Star XI meet on Thursday in Riyadh.
This will be the first time the two stars meet since December 2020, when Juventus and Barcelona met in the Champions League.
In terms of international football, Messi and Ronaldo have had contrasting results. Argentina returns to the Middle East after winning the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar almost a month ago.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, will play his first match since the World Cup, where he sco
red just one goal – from the penalty spot – and finished the tournament out of the starting lineup in Portugal’s final two games.
This will be the first meeting between the two football legends in which neither is from a European club. After a 20-year career spanning Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, Ronaldo chose to join Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half year deal reportedly worth USD 200 million.
“I’m proud to make this decision . . . in Europe, my work is done. I performed at the most prestigious clubs. Asia represents a new challenge. Thank you for the opportunity, Al Nassr. “I’m very happy and proud,” Ronaldo said at his unveiling in Saudi Arabia.
He went on to say that gubernatorial candidates from eight different political parties are expected to attend and sign the peace treaty.
Representatives from the following stakeholder groups and organizations are expected to attend: traditional, religious, and community leaders, security agencies, women and youth groups/academics, respected elder statesmen, business community, media, civil society, PWDs, and others.
When will Ronaldo make his debut for Al Nassr?
The 37-year-old will make his Saudi Arabia debut against PSG, which features Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar.
Though Ronaldo completed his move to Al Nassr in the first week of January, he was registered late, because of the league’s rules to register foreign players. Because Al Nassr’s list was already full, it had to cancel Vincent Aboubakar’s contract to register the Portuguese.
In addition, Ronaldo was serving a two-match ban imposed by the Football Association of England in November 2022 for hitting an Everton fan during his time with Manchester United.
Al Nassr’s two post-move matches, against Al Ta’ee and Al Shabab, are complete, and the Saudi team’s next match, on January 22, will feature Ronaldo.
However, in the match before that, between Al Nassr and Al Hilal, the former Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United star will make his debut in the Middle East.
Will Messi face Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia?
Lionel Messi returned to PSG training on January 4 following the World Cup and has started every match for the French champion since.
PSG was defeated by Rennes in the previous match, and the Argentine will look to get back on track with the club against Ronaldo.
Though PSG has not yet released the final squads, the 35-year-old World Cup winner is expected to start against his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
How popular are tickets for the Saudi All-Star XI vs. PSG?
The highly anticipated match, which will take place at Riyadh’s King Fahd Stadium, reportedly had over two million online ticket requests.
In an auction that is set to end later on Tuesday, the bidding for a VIP “Beyond Imagination” ticket to the match has already surpassed 10 million riyals ($2.66 million).
The game has also captivated fans because it comes just over a month after Messi helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, completing his extensive trophy collection.
Where and when will the PSG vs. Saudi All Star XI featuring Messi and Ronaldo be played?
The friendly between PSG and the Saudi All Star XI, which includes Ronaldo and Messi, will take place at Riyadh’s King Fahd Stadium.
The game is set to begin at 10:30 p.m. IST. 8 p.m. Saudi time
