Saudi tycoon pays $2.6M for ticket to watch Ronaldo and Messi play

• real estate tycoon  wins $2.6 million ticket to  friendly between Ronaldo and Messi.
• Match will be five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s first game for new club Al Nassr.
• PSG stars Mbappe and Hakimi also set to feature in Riyadh friendly.

Saudi real estate tycoon secured a ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off in a friendly, according to an official, after making a $2.6 million offer.

On Thursday in Riyadh, Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain will face a select team comprised of players from Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal.

It will be Ronaldo’s first game in the kingdom since signing a contract with Al Nassr that extends through 2025 and is worth more than 200 million euros ($214 million), according to club sources.

On Sunday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr.

Turki al-Sheikh, an advisor to the Royal Court and the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced a charity auction for an unique ticket that would include privileges such as photo opportunities with players and access to the locker rooms to promote Thursday’s friendly.

The auction began at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000) and ended at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

Mushref al-winning Ghamdi’s bid of 10 million riyals ($2.6 million) was then revealed on Twitter by Sheikh.

“Congratulations, you deserve it, and God bless you,” Sheikh responded.

The auction revenues will be donated to the national charity campaign Ehsan.

Aside from Messi, PSG talents scheduled to feature on Thursday include France forward Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who helped Morocco become the first Arab and African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals last year in Qatar.

Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored the winning goal in the Green Falcons’ shocking victory over Argentina in the World Cup group stage, is a member of the Saudi national team.

Monarchy rich in oil Saudi Arabia, which has been acquiring sporting assets in an effort to soften its austere image, is frequently accused of “sportswashing,” or using sport to divert attention away from human rights issues.

According to sources close to Al Nassr, Ronaldo is likely to get a total of 400 million euros in the kingdom, including a separate payment for his work as an ambassador for an upcoming World Cup bid by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Greece.

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