Lionel Messi was reunited with his long time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Riyadh as PSG took on a Saudi All-Star team in a friendly. The game saw plenty of stars light up the glitzy clash as the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi also shared the pitch alongside Messi and Ronaldo. The 90 minutes further provided an enthralling encounter as the Parisians edged out the All-Star team in 5-4 win.
Of course, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were on the scoresheet, scoring a combined three of the nine goals, with the Portuguese bagging a brace. However, it was the reunion of Ronaldo with his old rivals, Messi, Mbappe, Neymar, and some ex-teammates Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi and Keylor Navas since leaving Europe for the first time which caught all the attention. And Messi just added more to it, by sharing a story through his Instagram handle of him and Ronaldo greeting each other.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo share a happy reunion in Riyadh
For the first time since leaving Europe last month, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo got pitted against each other. The two often clashed against each other, during the Portugal captain’s years in Europe. While Barcelona vs Real Madrid was the biggest show which saw the two lock horns, Ronaldo also came up against the 35-year-old during his spells at Manchester United and Juventus.
However, the prospect of the two facing each other ended when Ronaldo left United last month for Riyadh-based Al Nassr. That also put an end to his illustrious career in Europe, which spanned almost across two decades and a heap of trophies. The 37-year-old put pen to paper on a 2.5 year contract with Al Nassr, who have made him the highest paid athlete ever in the world of sports.
But destiny had one last dance saved for two of the greatest players football has witnessed, as Ronaldo captained the Saudi All-Star team against Lionel Messi’s PSG in a friendly. Just before the game, the two shared a wholesome moment as Ronaldo greeted the Argentine in the tunnel ahead of the game. And Messi just amplified the beauty of it by sharing the picture which captured him hugging Ronaldo on his Instagram handle through a story.
While Ronaldo was on the losing side, he still managed to win the man of the match award at which the forward himself was baffled. There were rather more deserving candidates in Messi and Mbappe who were too hot to handle for Ronaldo’s defenders. Nonetheless, it was a pure game of joy as the fans were elevated to watch so many avengers of the sport assemble together.
Lionel Messi and co have now returned to Paris, as they contest their French Cup Round of 32 against Pays de Cassel on 24 January. The Argentine World Cup winner has been in scintillating form this season for the Parisian outfit, already surpassing his last season’s tally of goal contributions for the club. Messi has recorded 13 goals and 14 assists in 21 games for PSG, as he now gears up to steer the club to Champions League glory this season.