Riyadh All-Star vs Paris Saint-Germain Live
They’ve had their fair share of battles over the years, in Champions League knockout games – including one final – and Clásicos. Few would probably have imagined it would end like this but Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to face off for what will almost certainly be the final time as Paris Saint-Germain take on Riyadh All Stars, captained by the Portuguese, on Thursday 19 January. The match in the Saudi Arabian capital is being played as part of PSG’s tour of neighbouring Qatar.
A new chapter in the epic rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl on Thursday when they meet in an exhibition match, with the Portugal superstar set to play his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr.
Ronaldo and Messi, who have dominated football’s debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) for the better part of a decade, will face off on the pitch for the first time since December 2020 when Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0.
When and where will the game take place?
The highly anticipated showdown will take place in Riyadh.
- Date: Thursday, November 19
- Time: 8pm (17:00 GMT, 12:00 ET)
- Stadium: King Fahd Stadium
Who is expected to play?
Ronaldo will lead Riyadh ST XI, a team made up of players from Al Nassr and their Riyadh rivals Al Hilal.
The Saudi select team includes Salem al-Dawsari, who scored the winning goal in the Green Falcons’ shock defeat of Argentina in the World Cup’s group stage.
While Thursday’s friendly will be Ronaldo’s first in Saudi Arabia, the 37-year-old’s first competitive appearance will come in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Ettifaq.
From PSG, besides Messi, other stars expected to play include France striker Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who last year in Qatar helped make Morocco the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Neymar is also expected to play on Thursday.
French newspaper L’Equipe reported on Monday that PSG will earn just over 10 million euros ($10m) for the game.
The match reportedly had more than two million online ticket requests.
Riyadh All-Star vs Paris Saint-Germain Live
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