Several fans were looking forward to seeing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play against each other on Thursday. After not playing in the same field for two years, many were excited to see whose team would win. In the end, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won 5-4.
The Saudi All-star XI(Saudi All-Stars) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) match was an exhibition game held on Thursday at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Plenty of things happened at the match, including a missed penalty, a sending-off, a VAR intervention, and nine goals. From the start of the game, PSG dominated possession and in the third minute, Messi scored the opening goal of the match.
Neymar fought hard in the first few minutes for PSG and had plenty of chances, but they all missed the mark.
Both sides did their best to score a goal, then in the 33rd minute of the game, the Saudi All-Stars got a penalty kick and Ronaldo scored the equalizer. By the 42nd minute of the game, however, PSG took the lead once more thanks to Marquinhos.
Just before the 1st half of the match ended, the Saudi All-Stars got a free kick just outside the box. The ball missed the goal, but the players were quick to recover. With a close-range hit by Ronaldo, the Saudi All-Stars scored their second goal of the match.
The moment the second half started, both teams turned up the heat. The Saudi All-Stars nearly scored their 3rd goal at the start of the 2nd half but they ended up blocked by a terrific save by Navas.
In the 53rd minute, Mbappe made a beautiful pass to Ramos and PSG scored their third goal. Two minutes later, however, Jang Hyun-soo scored the equalizer for the Saudi All-Stars.
It was an intense fight for the lead, then in the 59th minute of the game, PSG got a penalty kick. Mbappe stepped up for the shot and scored the 4th goal for PSG.
The Saudi All-Stars did their best to score an equalizer, but in the 77th minute of the game, Hugo Ekitiké gave a beautiful shot and scored the 5th goal for the PSG. In the final minutes of the game, Talisca managed a last minute for the Saudi All-Stars, but it was in vain.
It was an exciting match all around but also bittersweet as this would be the last time fans got to see rivals Messi and Ronaldo on the same field.
Ronaldo and Messi’s rivalry is well-known in the soccer community. It first formed during their time in Spain together, playing starring roles in numerous El Clasicos for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
The last time the star players and rivals were seen on the field together was in December 2020. Given that Messi penned a deal with PSG until 2025, it is unlikely that fans will see the two again on the same field.
Following his time as captain for the friendly match between the Saudi All-star XI(Saudi All-Stars) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Ronaldo will be making his first competitive appearance in the Saudi Pro League(Saudi Professional League) on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq.
The PSG, meanwhile, will be going against the Pays de Cassel on January 24 for the French Cup.
