Two of the best players in the modern era of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, are set to renew their ten-year-old rivalry on Thursday in an exhibition match.
At the King Fahd International Stadium, Messi is prepared to captain Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) against Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi All-Star XI (Riyadh XI).
This comes after Messi and Argentina’s recent victory in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Ronaldo has joined Al-Nassr after his bittersweet second stint at Manchester United.
Nicknamed "CR7," Ronaldo will captain the Saudi All-Star XI in an intense friendly encounter against Messi's PSG on Thursday.
On Thursday, Ronaldo, often known by his nick name "CR7," will lead the Saudi All-Star XI against Messi's PSG in a tense friendly match.
Ronaldo will lead a range of stars from teams like Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr on the Saudi All-Star XI team.
When and where to watch Messi vs Ronaldo match?
Messi vs Ronaldo match will be livestreamed on Youtube for free on PSG’s official YouTube channel. Along with YouTube, the Messi vs Ronaldo match will also be livestreamed on PSG’s twitch channel and Facebook page. The match starts at 22:45 (10:45 pm) Nepal Standard Time on Thursday (January 19).
Soccer fan pays $ 2.6 million for the match
A soccer fan had paid 2.6 million to watch the Messi vs Ronaldo match. Saudi officials had put the once-in-a-lifetime pass to the event up for an auction earlier this month in order to promote the game ... promising that the winning bidder would get the red carpet treatment when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain team plays Ronaldo and Saudi All-Stars in a friendly in Riyadh.
The initial bid was $266,000, but, eventually, Saudi businessman Mushref al-Ghamdi closed things out with a $2.6 million offer -- and he was pumped for the purchase.
According to Saudi officials, the lucky football fan will now get to meet both Messi and Ronaldo at the game. He'll also get access to the teams' locker rooms -- and the trophy presentation afterward.
The money, meanwhile, will be going to a good cause -- it was announced this week it'll all be donated to charity.
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