Lionel Messi`s Paris St Germain take on a combined Al Hilal-Al Nassr team captained by Cristiano Ronaldo in an exhibition match, but with speculation of Messi also moving to Saudi Arabia, could this be a fresh chapter in the rivalry?
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated football for more than a decade .
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nasr after his contract with Manchester United expired after 20 years in Europe’s top leagues.
In an exhibition match, Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain will face the combined team of Al Hilal and Alnasr, giving Ronaldo and Messi the opportunity to rekindle their old ‘el Clásico’ rivalry when they played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
When Messi’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the season, Al Hilal may want to bring him to Saudi Arabia, as he has nothing left to prove on the European and international stages.
Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance, had currently indicated that the door become open for actions through Saudi golf equipment to try to signal each of soccer’s largest stars.
“Well we pointed out that earlier than and the nice of lifestyles is a crucial a part of the 2030 imaginative and prescient and nice of lifestyles in Saudi has improved, sports activities is a giant a part of that,” he advised CNBC whilst requested approximately Ronaldo or Messi shifting to the country.
“The younger populace of Saudi watch sports activities and carry out sports activities and whatever we are able to do to beautify this enterprise can pay returned and enhance the nice of lifestyles now no longer most effective for our human beings however for the operating human beings from outside.”
Messi and Ronaldo received each Ballon d’Or award from 2008-2017 till Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric broke their hegemony and the Argentine has considering received greater to guide 7-five over his Portuguese rival withinside the race to be the world’s exceptional player.
When the pair first confronted off in 2008 as younger upstarts seeking to make their mark, Manchester United and Barcelona performed out a zero-zero draw with inside the Champions League.
Since then, neither has been involved in a goalless draw for clubs or national teams in memorable matches that have seen millions watch to see the greats in their prime.
Last year, the pair took center stage at the World Cup in Qatar, but Ronaldo declined and was left out of Portugal’s starting line-up in the knockout stage after being eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Messi clinched the trophy.
Messi finished the tournament with seven goals as he became the first player to score in each round of the World Cup, completing the trophy case and being named player of the tournament.
If the Argentinian joins Saudi Arabia, Thursday’s clash between his two modern-day stars could usher in a new era of football for him in Asia.
