Excitement is building ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut game on Saudi soil.
Cristiano Ronaldo will face Lionel Messi for the first time since December 2020 when a Saudi All-Star XI host Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.
The friendly game will mark Ronaldo’s first appearance since joining Al Nassr on a record-breaking deal. CR7’s debut for Al Nassr is delayed, but he will captain the Saudi XI in the upcoming game.
In a campaign to promote the event, Turki al-Sheikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, auctioned a special ticket on Wednesday. The buyer will enjoy perks such as photo opportunities with Messi and Ronaldo and access to locker rooms.
Following a few hours of bidding, Al-Sheikh announced a Suadi businessman named Mushref al-Ghamdi had purchased the ticket for 10 million riyals ($2.6m).
“Congratulations, you deserve it, and may God reward you with good,” Sheikh wrote on Twitter.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, the friendly game has received over 2 million online ticket requests. PSG will reportedly earn around €10m from the friendly match.
Al Nassr also hopes to hold a meeting with PSG officials to finalize a transfer for Keylor Navas. The former Real Madrid goalkeeper is set to replace David Ospina, who has suffered a serious elbow injury.
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