Ronaldo to make Saudi debut in friendly against PSG

RIYADH – Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in Saudi Arabia for the first time since joining Al Nassr after he was named as captain of Riyadh ST XI for an exhibition match against Lionel Messi’s Paris St Germain, officials announced.

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.

The highly anticipated showdown, which reportedly had more than 2 million online ticket requests, will take place in Riyadh on Thursday, Reuters reported.

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 hosts Al Ettifaq.

Paris Saint-Germain will earn more than €10 million for next the friendly, ‘L’Equipe’ reported.

The match raises the intriguing prospect of new Al-Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo facing his long-time rival and PSG star Lionel Messi, fresh from winning the World Cup with Argentina last month.

Alongside Messi, in Paris Saint-Germain’s squad will be Brazil’s Neymar and France World Cup final hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe, while the select team includes the likes of Matheus Pereira and Odion Ighalo of Al-Hilal, and Alvaro Gonzalez and Talisca of Al-Nassr.

Argentinian coach Marcelo Gallardo is set to lead a Saudi Riyadh Season select team in the match.

($1 = 0.9245 euros) ($1 = 3.7556 riyals)