Paris St. Germain defeated a Riyadh All-Star XI 5-4 in a thrilling match as Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his first game in Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi also scored.
Two of the greatest players of all time played together for perhaps the last time during the exhibition game in the Saudi capital.
Ronaldo scored twice before halftime to make the score 2-2 after Messi’s opening goal.
Just after the hour mark, both players were replaced.
As Sergio Ramos added to Marquinhos’ beautiful finish in the opening stanza, the two PSG center backs also scored.
However, due to Juan Bernat’s straight red card for bringing down Saudi international Salem Al Dawsari and Neymar’s failed penalty in a breath-taking first half, the French team played the majority of the match with 10 men.
The All-Star XI and PSG were tied at 3-3 after Jang Hyun-header, soo’s but Kylian Mbappe’s penalty and substitute Hugo Ekitike’s clinical strike gave PSG the lead.
Late in injury time, Anderson Talisca hammered in a long-range consolation, but there was not enough time for a thrilling equalizer.
Due to a suspension from his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo has had to wait to make his debut following a significant move to Al-Nassr.
But when they host Ettifaq at home on Sunday, he will make his competitive debut for his new team.
How appropriate that his first match in the Middle Eastern nation was a high-profile and fiercely competitive friendly against Messi, who had just won the World Cup in nearby Qatar a month before.
After just two minutes, the Argentina captain pounced on Neymar’s pass and scored the game’s first goal, but the 37-year-old captain of Portugal was not to be outdone.
Ronaldo’s first goal came from the penalty spot after PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas’ forearm slammed into his face and knocked him to the ground, leaving him with a severely bruised cheek.
After his initial header struck the post, he reacted quickly to score the second goal, displaying the drive and desire he still possesses. The fans joined in on both scores as he performed his signature celebration.
If they didn’t run into each other again in the later stages of their illustrious careers, they may have played against each other for the last time at 61 minutes.