Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will go head-to-head in a match between the Riyadh Season Team (a Saudi All-Star XI side) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday. It will be the first time the two superstars have faced each other since December 2020, when their former teams, Juventus and Barcelona, met in the UEFA Champions League. Messi is coming off a successful World Cup campaign in Qatar where he won the Golden Ball award, while Ronaldo had a less impressive tournament, only scoring one goal for Portugal, who reached the quarterfinals.
In Short
- Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will square off in Riyadh
- Ronaldo will captain the Riyadh Season Team in the exhibition match
- Ronaldo and Messi haven’t faced each other since December 2020
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will probably play against each other for the last time as PSG travels to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to play the Riyadh All-Stars in a friendly match as part of the state-sponsored Riyadh Seasons festival. The match was supposed to take place during PSG’s January break last year but was delayed due to COVID-19, now taking place during the busy fixture schedule caused by the World Cup. The timing of the match is inconvenient for all parties involved. Ronaldo has yet to make his debut for Al Nassr due to a suspension carried over from his time in the Premier League, but will captain the Riyadh All-Stars. On the other hand, PSG has recently lost two games in Ligue 1, causing their previously large lead in the league table to shrink to just three points.
This game is mainly an exhibition between two teams loaded with famous players, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but both teams hope that a strong showing will give them momentum heading into the more important games of the season.
75 minutes until kickoff: The previous time Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo played against each other, Juventus defeated Barcelona 3-0, with Ronaldo scoring twice and American midfielder Weston McKennie adding one. Despite Barcelona having 60% possession and outshooting Juventus 19-9, they were unable to score. This was probably the last competitive match between the two legends, but today’s game could be the end of their rivalry.
A VIP ticket for today’s match, with exclusive access to the dressing rooms and the opportunity to meet both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, was sold for $2.6 million by a Saudi fan. The ticket, called a “Beyond Imagination” ticket, was initially put up for auction at $260,000 before reaching the final bid and all proceeds were donated to charity.
When and where to watch Messi Vs Ronaldo football match?
Although the match will not be broadcast live on Indian television, fans can still view it as it happens through various online platforms. The game will be streamed live on PSG TV, PSG’s Facebook page, PSG’s YouTube channel, PSG’s Twitch channel, and the Onefootball app. The match begins at 10:30 PM (India time).
