Messi vs Ronaldo: In what comes as a delightful surprise for the Indian football fanbase, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan is at Riyadh's Al Fahd Stadium where Lionel Messi's star-studded Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is going up against Cristiano-led Riyadh All-Star XI team in an exhibition clash. Many videos and pictures have gone viral on social media in which the veteran actor can be seen walking onto the field to meet and greet two of the most iconic footballers of all time, Messi and Ronaldo.
Sadly, for Messi and Ronaldo fans, Argentina didn't get an opportunity to play against Portugal in FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar. Before tonight's clash, the last time Ronaldo faced Messi was in December 2020, when Juventus defeated Barcelona 3-0. In 2018, Ronaldo parted ways with Madrid to play for Juventus. Notably, Ronaldo, who moved from Manchester United to Al Nassr on December 30, 2022, is making his first competitive appearance in Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo stunned the world when he moved to Al-Nasar for a jaw-dropping salary of approximately Є200 million per year. The Portuguese legend is now officially the highest-paid footballer ever in the history of the game. Lionel Messi, in the summer of 2022, left Barcelona to play for Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo parted ways with Manchester United after an explosive interview with British journalist Piers Morgan in which he went on record saying he has no respect for his Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag. He even alleged that the training facilities at Old Trafford have stagnated since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Riyadh All-Star XI Playing XI: Ospina; Al Boleahi, Al Burayk, Al Juwayr, Cuellar, Konan; Gonzalez; Ighalo, Marega, Cristiano Ronaldo, Talisca
Paris Saint-Germain Playing XI: Keylor Navas; Bernat, Bitshiabu, Ramos, Hakimi; Renato Sanches, Carlos Soler, Vitinha; Mbappé, Messi, Neymar