Cristiano Ronaldo to make Saudi debut against Lionel Messi’s Paris St Germain in a friendly

Football maverick Cristiano Ronaldo will make his Saudi Arabia debut against Paris St Germain (PSG) after he was named as the captain of Riyadh ST XI. Ronaldo will lead a tem comprising players like Al Hilal and Al Nassr against Lionel Messi’s PSG. The much-awaited tournament will take place on Thursday in Riyadh and over 2 million online ticket requests have been made so far. 

The bidding for a VIP “Beyond Imagination” ticket to the match hit 10 million riyals or $2.66 million so far in an auction that will end today. After joining the Saudi football club, Ronaldo thanked the Arabians for a warm welcome. 

Ronaldo said, “Thank you Riyadh for the warm welcome! Look forward to seeing you at the stadium tonight.” He added, “I’m a unique player. It’s good to come here, I broke all the records there (in Europe) and I want to break a few records here. I’m coming here to win, to play, to enjoy, to be part of the success of the country and culture of the country.” 

While welcoming Ronaldo to the club, Al Nassr said on its official Instagram handle that this will not only inspire the club to achieve greater heights but also the nation and future generation to be the best version of themselves. 

Al Nassr wrote, “This is more than history in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome Cristiano to your new home.”

Ronaldo joined the team in a deal worth over 200 million euros or $216.34 million until 2025.