Cristiano Ronaldo Set to Face Lionel Messi's PSG in Saudi Arabia

By Swindon Link - 17 January 2023

Clubs & Activities

Cristiano Ronaldo and longtime footballing rival Lionel Messi are set to face off again when PSG play Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

PSG announced on Monday that it would compete in a friendly match on January 19 in Riyadh against a combined side made up of players from Al Nassr, Ronaldo's new club, and the current Asian Champions League holders Al Hilal. It is a game you can bet on with sport bet Zambia alongside many other league and non-league matches.

During a two-day break, Qatari-sponsored PSG will travel to Saudi Arabia and Doha to conduct promotional activities.

With 12 Ballon d'Or titles on them, Ronaldo and Argentina's Messi have dominated the sport over the last 15 years. It was during the nine years that they competed against one another in Spain — when Ronaldo for Real Madrid and Messi played for Barcelona when their rivalry intensified.

Ronaldo left Manchester United by mutual consent in November last year, becoming a free agent. He will play for Al Nassr for the first time on January 22 when they take on Ettifaq in the Saudi Premier League.

According to international football rules, the 37-year-old great must serve the two-match punishment the English Football Association imposed on him in November before the World Cup. In a league game against Everton in April last year, Ronaldo knocked a fan's smartphone out of anger, forcing the English football body to look into his conduct.

Weeks after Portugal's elimination from the World Cup quarterfinal in Qatar, where Messi won the championship for Argentina, Ronaldo's stellar career enters its newest and probably last chapter.

The nine-time Saudi Arabia league champions, Al Nassr, dubbed Ronaldo's signing "more than history in the making," asserting that he would motivate the rest of the league and maybe even the whole nation.

On Friday, Ronaldo completed the first of his two-game suspension and could only watch from the dressing room as Al-Nassr beat Al-Ta'ee 2-0 at home in the Saudi Pro League. Remember, the Saudi league is one of the many leagues you can find on the Betway platform.

Al Nassr coach Rudi Garcia has confirmed that Ronaldo will be a part of the exhibition side to play the French Ligue 1 champions on January 19 before making his Al-Nassr debut in the league three days later against Ettifaq.

Speaking to reporters, Garcia said: "It won't be with the Al-Nassr jersey. It will be a mix between Al Hilal and Al Nassr.

"As the coach of Al-Nassr, I cannot be happy with this match. For development, to see PSG, to see the great Parisian players, indeed it is a good thing. But we have a championship game three days later.

"In terms of scheduling, it could have been better thought out. But it's not a big deal... We are in the lead, we are happy. It is a difficult championship to win, but we intend to do it."

Garcia has also emphasized the importance of his role in supporting Ronaldo in rediscovering his passion for the game and has likened the move of the renowned striker to Pele's signing for the New York Cosmos back in 1975. A lot of attention will be focused on the Portuguese striker during his spell in Asia, and you can bet on him to score many goals for his new side with Betway.

 
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