30,000 fans attend PSG training in Doha as Messi prepares for Ronaldo showdown

Argentine great and his Parisian club will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and an all-star Saudi XI in a friendly in Riyadh on Thursday

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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

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  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

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  PSG manager Christophe Galtier speaks to the media after a training session at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA

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  PSG defender Nuno Mendes vies for the ball with Sergio Ramos during training in Qatar on Wednesday. AFP

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  PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. AFP

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  PSG fans attend their team's training session at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Reuters

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  Lionel Messi fans during PSG's training session at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Reuters

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  Neymar during PSG's training session in Doha. Reuters

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  PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery vies for the ball with Neymar during training. AFP

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  PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA

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  Kylian Mbappe during PSG's training session in Qatar. EPA

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  Lionel Messi takes part in PSG's training session. EPA

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  Neymar trains with PSG at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA

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  Lionel Messi during training at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. EPA

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  Neymar and Timothee Pembele during PSG's training session in Qatar. EPA

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  Kylian Mbappe and Timothee Pembele during PSG's training. EPA

Paris Saint-Germain players interacted with thousands of supporters in Doha on Wednesday as they trained for a high-profile match with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Argentine great Lionel Messi, French forward Kylian Mbappe and Brazil's Neymar trained at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar as the Ligue 1 champions prepared for a friendly against a Saudi all-star XI that will include Al Nassr's new recruit - Portugal superstar Ronaldo.

The match between PSG and the Saudi team will take place at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on Thursday and interest around the game has multiplied for two reasons - fans will get to see Ronaldo v Messi once more and also see the former Real Madrid and Manchester United great play his first game on Saudi soil.

Ronaldo is yet to make his debut for his new club Al Nassr as he is serving a two-match domestic ban imposed by the English Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand after Manchester United's match against Everton in April.

Interest around the Ronaldo v Messi game is extremely high, with Reuters reporting that the game received more than two million online ticket requests.

Also, a Saudi businessman won a special VIP ticket to attend the friendly after bidding $2.6 million at auction.

PSG players soaked in the atmosphere as they trained in Doha in front of more than 30,000 fans.

Captain Marquinhos told the club website: "We feel at home here in Qatar. We've been welcomed very warmly and given the best possible conditions. The warmth of the fans is going to give us a boost for the rest of the season."

Images from PSG's training session in Doha can be seen in the picture gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.

The PSG v Saudi all-star XI game will kick off at 9pm UAE time and will be shown live on beIN Sports.

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  Al Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo watches from the stand as his team take on At Ta'ee at the Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh on Friday, January 6, 2023. AFP

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  Cristiano Ronaldo in the stands during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Ta'ee in Riyadh on Friday. Reuters

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  Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledges fans at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. Reuters

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  Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo at the Mrsool Park Stadium in Riyadh. AFP

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  Cristiano Ronaldo poses with fans in Riyadh on Friday. AP

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  Al Nassr players before the match against Ta'ee. AP

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  Al Nassr fands watch the game on Friday despite heavy rain. AP

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  An Al Nassr fan poses showing a shirt with Cristiano Ronaldo's name on it in Riyadh. Reuters

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  Fans watched Friday's game amid heavy rain and cold. Reuters

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  An Al Nassr fan poses with a Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey. Reuters

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  Al Nassr fans sit during heavy rain at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. AP

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  Saudi fans watched Friday's game in heavy rain. AP