Follow live: Ronaldo v Messi as PSG play Saudi all-stars
Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to make his maiden appearance in Saudi Arabia on Thursday after his record deal with Al Nassr, and it is going to be a memorable one.
The Portuguese star has had to wait for his first outing in the kingdom as he was serving a two-match domestic ban imposed by the English FA for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand when he played for Manchester United against Everton last April.
Ronaldo, who turns 38 next month, agreed to a contract with Al Nassr that runs until 2025 and is reportedly worth more than $200 million.
And now, after a long wait, Ronaldo will finally take to the field. The star forward will feature in the “Riyadh Season Cup” exhibition game on Thursday as part of an all-star team comprising players from Ronaldo's new club Al Nassr and city rivals Al Hilal. Facing this combined team will be a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side that will also have Ronaldo's long-time rival Lionel Messi.
Apart from Messi, PSG's line-up is also expected to include France star Kylian Mbappe and Brazil great Neymar.
The Saudi select team includes Salem Al Dawsari, who scored the winning goal in the Green Falcons' shock win over eventual champions Argentina in the World Cup's group stage.
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Portugal and Saudi club Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo meets Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti in Riyadh. Photo: Real Madrid Twitter / @realmadriden -
Cristiano Ronaldo with Roberto Carlos during Real Madrid's training in Riyadh on Friday, January 13, 2023. Photo: Real Madrid Twitter / @realmadriden -
Cristiano Ronaldo with Vinicius Jr. Photo: Real Madrid Twitter / @realmadriden -
Cristiano Ronaldo meets Real Madrid's Rodrygo Goes. Photo: Real Madrid Twitter / @realmadriden -
Cristiano Ronaldo with Eder Militao. Photo: Real Madrid Twitter / @realmadriden
Fixture
Riyadh Season Cup, Riyadh All-Star XI v PSG at King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
When is the match?
Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 9pm UAE time (8pm Makkah)
How to watch Ronaldo v Messi in the UAE?
The match will be shown on beIN Sports across the Mena region. Live coverage begins on the beIN Sports free-to-air channel and beIN Sports 2 in Arabic from 8pm UAE time, while English coverage starts at 8.30pm on beIN Sports English 1.
Tickets
Demand for tickets for the match is extremely high. According to Reuters, the game has already received more than two million online ticket requests.
To top it all, a Saudi real estate businessman won a special VIP ticket to see the friendly after bidding $2.6 million at auction.
Turki Al Sheikh, an adviser at the Royal Court and head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, had earlier announced the auction for a VIP ticket, named "Beyond Imagination".
The ticket provides a number of unique benefits, including photo opportunities with players and access to the respective dressing rooms. Al Sheikh then announced on Twitter that real-estate entrepreneur Mushref Al Ghamdi had put in a winning bid of 10 million riyals ($2.6 million) for the special ticket.
Proceeds from the auction will go to the national charity campaign "Ehsan".
In pictures: 30,000 fans attend PSG training in Doha as Messi prepares for Ronaldo showdown
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Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian forward Neymar and Argentine star Lionel Messi during a training session at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. AFP -
Kylian Mbappe takes a selfie with a fan at the end of PSG's training session at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. PSG will face a Riyadh All-Star XI team, which will include Cristiano Ronaldo, on Thursday. EPA -
PSG manager Christophe Galtier speaks to the media after a training session at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA -
PSG defender Nuno Mendes vies for the ball with Sergio Ramos during training in Qatar on Wednesday. AFP -
PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. AFP -
PSG fans attend their team's training session at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Reuters -
Lionel Messi fans during PSG's training session at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Reuters -
Neymar during PSG's training session in Doha. Reuters -
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery vies for the ball with Neymar during training. AFP -
PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA -
Kylian Mbappe during PSG's training session in Qatar. EPA -
Lionel Messi takes part in PSG's training session. EPA -
Neymar trains with PSG at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA -
Lionel Messi during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA -
Neymar and Timothee Pembele during PSG's training session in Qatar. EPA -
Kylian Mbappe and Timothee Pembele during PSG's training. EPA
