Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain will play a friendly against a select side made up of players from Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal in Riyadh on January 19, the French champions announced on Monday.
Qatar-owned PSG will travel to Doha on January 17 before moving on to the Saudi capital for the match at the King Fahd Stadium which will see Messi and Ronaldo renew their rivalry.
The details of the match, including the location and specific date, have not yet been confirmed, but it is expected that the match will be held in one of the major stadiums in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo, who plays for Juventus and Messi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, have been rivals for over a decade, regularly competing for the title of best player in the world. Their rivalry has become a defining feature of the sport, and their match in Saudi Arabia is being billed as one of the most exciting events in soccer history.
The match is also expected to attract a huge number of fans from all over the world, as well as a significant number of tourists to Saudi Arabia.
In recent years, the country has made significant investments in sports infrastructure and events as a part of a strategy to attract tourism and diversify its economy.
Saudi Arabia’s General Sports Authority (GSA) announced the match and said that it was part of the kingdom’s commitment to the development of sports in the country and to make it a hub for sports in the region.
The match is also considered an opportunity to bring together fans from all over the world to enjoy the game of football and promote values of tolerance and coexistence.
This match is expected to be a big boost for Football development in the region, as it will help to attract talent and investment into the local game, it also signals a new era in the Arabian world where it is looking to create a new sports culture and bring the biggest matches in the world to the region.
The match between Ronaldo and Messi is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for soccer fans, and it is expected to be a highlight of the sports calendar in Saudi Arabia.