A new chapter in the celebrated rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl on Thursday when they meet in an exhibition match as the Portugal forward gears up for his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr.
The 37-year-old Portuguese will lead the team made up of players from Saudi sides Al Hilal and Al Nassr against Messi’s PSG in what will be the latest chapter of the celebrated global soccer rivalry.
The line-up also features Saudi internationals Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored in the shock group-stage win over Argentina in last year’s World Cup, and Saud Abdulhamid.
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The game has also captivated fans as it comes just over a month after Messi helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, the missing piece in his vast trophy collection.
The highly anticipated showdown, which reportedly had more than 2 million online ticket requests, will take place in Riyadh on Thursday.
The bidding for a VIP “Beyond Imagination” ticket to the match has already topped 10 million riyals ($2.66 million) in an auction that is set to end on Tuesday.
Ronaldo missed the first two domestic games for Al Nassr after being suspended by England’s Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan’s hand in April.
The Portuguese forward arrived at the Arab team earlier this month on a deal until 2025 estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($216.34 million).
Ronaldo is set to make his first competitive appearance in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq.
