Cristiano Ronaldo is gearing up for his first match since moving to Saudi Arabia today – against a very familiar foe.
He will captain a Saudi Arabia All-Star XI that faces Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Riyadh during the French side’s mid-season Middle East tour.
It means the Portuguese star will face newly-crowned World Cup winner Lionel Messi, his nemesis for so many years of “greatest of all time” debates – here’s everything you need to know.
What time is PSG vs Saudi All-Star XI today?
The clash between PSG and the Saudi All-Star XI kicks off at 8pm local time on Thursday 19 January.
Saudi Arabia is three hours ahead of the UK (like the World Cup 2022 host nation Qatar), which means the match starts at 5pm UK time.
The game is taking place at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which has a capacity of over 68,000.
How can I watch PSG vs Saudi All-Star XI in the UK?
The match is not being broadcast live on TV for UK viewers.
However, fans can watch an online live stream via PSG’s own branded platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube – full details can be found here.
Is this Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr debut?
While this is Ronaldo’s first match since moving to Saudi Arabia, it’s not technically his club debut.
That’s because the Saudi All-Star XI is comprised of both players who play for his new club, and their Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal.
A two-match suspension, issued by the English FA following an incident at Goodison Park last year, meant Ronaldo was unable to make his Al Nassr debut prior to this exhibition.
He is set to make his Saudi Pro League debut on Sunday, with Al Nassr – currently top of the table – hosting 10th-placed Al Ettifa.
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Ronaldo and Messi’s most regular and memorable match-ups came in El Clasico encounters, when Messi played for Barcelona and Ronaldo was at Real Marid.
These meetings spanned nine years, from Ronaldo’s move to Real from Manchester United in 2009 until he left for Juventus in 2018.
Standout encounters include Ronaldo’s extra-time winner in the 2011 Copa del Rey final, a 2-2 draw in La Liga in 2012 where both players scored twice, while a Messi hat-trick decided a thrilling 4-3 encounter in 2014 at the Bernabeu – with Ronaldo also on target.
In total, the pair have met 36 times, with Messi winning 16 matches to Ronaldo’s 11, and the Argentinian legend has also outscored his rival in direct meetings with 22 goals to 21.
Their last meeting came in December 2020, when Barcelona drew Juventus in the Champions League group stages. On that occasion it was Ronaldo’s night, with the forward scoring twice as Juve won 3-0 at the Nou Camp.
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