PSG will play a friendly match in Riyadh on January 19 with a composite team consisting of players from Al Nassr, Ronaldo’s new club, and Al Hilal.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first match in Saudi Arabia will be against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and his team. longtime rival Lionel Messi.
PSG said on Monday that it will play a friendly match on January 19 in Riyadh with a group of players from Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and Al Hilal, the defending Asian Champions League champions.
Qatar-owned PSG are visiting Saudi Arabia for a two-day regional break, which will include a visit to Doha to promote the club’s portfolio of Qatari sponsors.
Argentina’s Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the sport for the past 15 years, winning the Ballon d’Or 12 times between them.
Their rivalry grew during the nine years they faced each other in Spain – when Messi was playing for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid.
Ronaldo became a free agent in November 2022 after leave Manchester United by consent.
The Portuguese forward will make his debut for Al Nassr when they take on Ettifaq in the Saudi top flight on January 22.
World football rules require the 37-year-old star to complete a two-match suspension imposed by the British Football Federation in November before the World Cup. Ronaldo slapped a mobile phone from a fan’s hand after the game against Everton last April.
The latest and possibly final chapter in Ronaldo’s illustrious career comes weeks after Portugal were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar, where Messi lifts the trophy for Argentina.
Al Nassr, the nine-time Saudi tournament champion, called Ronaldo’s contract “more than history in the making”, claiming he will inspire the rest of the league and even the country.
