Messi and Ronaldo’s most memorable clashes: From the Champions League to El Clasico

Despite now playing their club football on different continents, old foes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face each other once again on Thursday when Paris Saint-Germain travel to Saudi Arabia for an exhibition game.

The friendly, officially known as the Riyadh Season Cup, will take place in the Saudi capital and will pit PSG against a side made up of players from Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal.

Al Nassr coach Rudi Garcia has confirmed that Ronaldo is set to make his first appearance in Riyadh against PSG after the Portugal captain was forced to miss his first two domestic games for his new club due to a suspension carried over from his time at Manchester United. Therefore, this match will be the first played by Ronaldo since making his move with a full league debut set to follow against Ettifaq on Jan. 22.

Messi and Ronaldo last shared a pitch in December 2020, since when Ronaldo has changed clubs twice and Messi has won the World Cup. No wonder, that there were more than 2 million online requests for tickets for the match at the 68,000-capacity King Fahd International Stadium.

Should both superstars take to the pitch in Riyadh, it will be the first time they have come face-to-face in over two years (772 days to be precise) with both players having moved on since their last meeting.

Indeed, Al Nassr will be the fourth different club that Ronaldo has represented over the course of 36 meetings between the pair since their maiden clash in April 2008, while Messi is now on his second team having left Barcelona to join PSG in the summer of 2021.