Cristiano Ronaldo made his first appearance in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr and scored twice, while Lionel Messi also found the net in an exhibition match between the All Stars team and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Ronaldo had to wait for his debut for Al Nassr due to a Football Association (FA) suspension he incurred during his time at Manchester United. The match marked the first time that Messi and Ronaldo played on the same pitch since Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League group stages in October 2020.
Prior to this exhibition match, Messi and Ronaldo had faced each other 36 times, with the PSG player winning 16 of those matches, compared to just 11 victories for Ronaldo.
Despite it being a friendly match, both teams played an exciting and competitive game, which resulted in nine goals being shared between them, with PSG eventually winning 5-4 at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Messi opened the scoring for PSG with a goal from Neymar’s pass just two minutes into the match. The All Stars team equalised through a penalty scored by Ronaldo, after he was fouled by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
PSG were reduced to 10 men when Juan Bernat was sent off for a foul. They went ahead again through a goal from centre-half Marquinhos at a corner. However, Neymar missed a penalty after being tripped in the area, and Ronaldo equalised again for the All Stars team just before half-time.
Sergio Ramos, Ronaldo’s former teammate at Real Madrid, scored a goal to put PSG back in front, but Jang Hyun-soo equalised for the All Stars team. Ronaldo was substituted after an hour, and PSG extended their lead with a Kylian Mbappe penalty and a goal from Hugo Ekitike. Anderson Talisca pulled one back for the All Stars team, but it was not enough to prevent PSG from winning the match.
Ronaldo was named man of the match for his outstanding performance, which included scoring two goals and creating numerous chances for his team. Despite the loss, both Ronaldo and Messi showed that they are still capable of producing top-quality football, and their fans will be eagerly looking forward to their next meeting on the pitch.