Ronaldo and Messi to meet in friendly between PSG and Saudi select

• Paris St-Germain will play a friendly match in Saudi Arabia.
• Match will feature Ronaldo’s new team Al Nassr and their Saudi opponents Al Hilal.
• PSG will fly to Qatar before continuing on to the Saudi Arabian capital for the match.

On January 19, a select team made up of players from Cristiano Ronaldo’s new team Al Nassr and their Saudi opponents Al Hilal will play a friendly match in Riyadh, the French champions announced on Monday.

On January 17, Qatar-owned PSG will fly to Doha before continuing on to the Saudi Arabian capital for the match at the King Fahd Stadium, where Messi and Ronaldo will rekindle their rivalry.

After receiving a fortnight off following Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar in December, Messi rejoined PSG training last week.

Ronaldo, who will turn 38 in February, recently signed a contract with Al Nassr that extends until 2025 and is said to be worth more than 200 million euros ($214 million).

His hiring by Frenchman Rudi Garcia’s Al Nassr team comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is working to raise the game’s reputation ahead of a potential joint bid with Greece and Egypt to host the 2030 World Cup.

In the past 15 years, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the sport, sharing 12 Ballon d’Or victories.

During the nine years that they faced off in Spain while Messi was a star for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid, their rivalry intensified.

The two most prosperous teams in Saudi Arabia are the Riyadh clubs Al Hilal and Al Nassr.

PSG frequently visits Qatar during the winter months ever since the Gulf nation acquired the team in 2011.

This journey nonetheless takes place despite the Ligue 1 leaders having a French Cup match against lower-league opponents scheduled for the weekend of January 21 and 22.

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