WHAT IS THE TICKET PRICE FOR THE RONALDO VS MESSI MATCH ON JANUARY 19?

With a 10 million riyal (21.64 crore) offer for a ticket to the showpiece game, a Saudi Arabian businessman is leading the bidding to witness the latest chapter in Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s celebrated rivalry in global football.

Mushref Al-Ghamdi, general manager of real estate group AqarOne, is the current leader in an auction that ends on January 17, according to the Saudi government’s entertainment arm.

The “Beyond Imagination” ticket is for a game between Saudi clubs Al Nassr – who recently signed Ronaldo – and Al Hilal and Messi’s Paris St Germain.

The game in Riyadh on January 19 will be the pair’s first on-pitch meeting since Juventus defeated Barcelona 3-0 in December 2020.

The purchaser of the ticket has the right to attend the winner’s ceremony following the match, enter the dressing rooms, and meet the two men who have fought for years to be the greatest in the world.

Though the auction proceeds will benefit charity, the event may fuel accusations of “sportswashing,” or diverting attention away from human rights violations by spending money on sports.

In addition to luring Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia has appointed Messi as a tourism ambassador. PSG is owned by Qatar’s government, which recently hosted the World Cup.