Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo renewed their rivalry as PSG headed to Saudi Arabia for a friendly with both men getting on the scoresheet in a highly-entertaining clash
Lionel Messi highlighted his affection for Cristiano Ronaldo by posting footage of them hugging on his Instagram story.
The rivals, who have dominated football’s individual accolades for more than a decade, are regarded as among the best players of all time. They shared the pitch for what could be the final time this week as PSG travelled to the Middle East for a friendly against a Saudi-based team.
Messi and Ronaldo’s drive to be the best has led to a healthy rivalry, that has always remained respectful. Messi made clear his feelings about the Portuguese star as they shared an embrace before kick-off, which the World Cup winner then put on social media.
The Argentina hero would finish the friendly on top, scoring as the French outfit won a highly-entertaining encounter 5-4. They played over half the match with ten men following Juan Bernat’s red card, but still got the job done. Messi opened the scoring after just three minutes.
Kylian Mbappe also got on the scoresheet whilst Ronaldo bagged a brace on what was his debut in Saudi Arabia. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has recently signed for Al-Nassr but his first game came as part of a unique XI. His first goal came from the spot before he added another in first-half stoppage time.
The forward, playing against several former team-mates as well as his great rivals, made his thoughts known on social media. He wrote: “So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!”
Ronaldo is expected to make his debut for his new club on Sunday against Ettifaq as Al-Nassr look to return to the top of the table. PSG meanwhile are in the midst of their season, but are by no means running away with things in Ligue 1. Their recent loss to Rennes allowed their rivals to close in.
PSG boss Christophe Galtier gave his assessment of their trip to Saudi: “We saw lots of goals in a magnificent stadium with an incredible atmosphere. This evening, we played in a lively stadium with lots of support. Before talking about football, I wanted to say that I enjoyed the way that they honoured the numerous stars that were on the pitch.
“In terms of the match, it’s a shame that it wasn’t played with 11 against 11, but the referee surely applied the rules. There were interesting things on show given that we scored goals. There are also things that we are going to need to improve, I am thinking particularly about set-pieces. It allows us to establish areas to work on. It had also been a long time since we had everyone out on the pitch. When everyone is available, there are real positives. At the same time, there will be things to work on.”
‘Eyes of the football world’ on Saudi Arabia as Cristiano Ronaldo makes Al Nassr debut
Cristiano Ronaldo’s official debut for Al Nassr will ensure “the eyes of the football world” will be on the Saudi Pro League and Mrsool Park on Sunday night, said the head of the country’s domestic top flight.
Ronaldo, 37, is set to make his highly anticipated bow for Nassr following last month’s landmark move, which is expected to earn the Portuguese star more than $200 million per year. Ronaldo, then a free agent, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Riyadh club.
The five-time ballon d’Or winner was in action on the pitch on Thursday night, when he captained an all-star XI in an exhibition against Paris Saint-Germain in front of a reported 68,000 sell-out at King Fahd International Stadium. Ronaldo scored twice as the French champions ran out 5-4 winners in the capital.
However, the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus forward will contest his first competitive match on Sunday as Nassr, currently second in the table, host 10th-placed Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park.
The capital club, who have played 13 league matches this season, can reclaim top spot in the standings with victory against Ettifaq. Jeddah side Al Ittihad sit at the summit, although they have played a game more.
Thursday’s friendly against Paris Saint-Germain represented Ronaldo’s first appearance since he departed the World Cup last month in tears following Portugal’s quarter-final exit to Morocco.
In a post on Instagram on Thursday, the 2016 European Championship winner said: “So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!”
The post included pictures of Ronaldo celebrating one of his two goals, with his arm around long-time rival Lionel Messi, and receiving an award for man of the match.
Meanwhile, on Saturday Nassr confirmed the departure of Cameroon international Vincent Aboubakar. The striker, scorer of the winner for his country against Brazil during the World Cup group stage, has joined Turkey’s Besiktas.
Source: mirror.co.uk; thenationalnews.com
