Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to lead an All-Stars team on his Saudi Arabian debut against Lionel Messi's PSG. Ronaldo and Messi have been arch-rivals for over 15 years, dominating the the Ballon d'Or trophy from 2008 to 2017. The Portuguese superstar signed for the Middle East side Al Nassr for a record-breaking £173million-a-year contract at the club. And now, according to Spanish daily Marca, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star will make his debut in a friendly match against the Argentina great.
A selection of stars from Al Nassr and rivals Al Hilal will play together to face the French champions on January 19. Ronaldo will cross swords with Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina last year. Earlier, according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo Al Nassr rivals Al Hilal are planning to offer a bumper deal of $300 million that will dwarf Ronaldo's $220 million a year contract. The Argentine, 35, is out of contract at PSG in the summer. Reports have claimed he has a "verbal agreement" with the Ligue 1 champions to extend his stay in the French capital.
With no formal agreement in place, the Saudi side will look to tempt the the World champions with a lucarative contract. Al Hilal and Al Nassr are arch rivals and make up the highly volatile Riyadh Derby. Al Hilal currently sit third in the Saudi Pro League, three points behind table toppers Al Nassr.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
