In what could possibly be the last time the two soccer greats meet on the field, Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi competed against each other on Thursday, January 19 as Paris Saint-Germain played an exhibition match against Saudi All-Star XI in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. To kick off the match, the two players shook hands, causing quite the commotion on social media, as Twitter fans went wild with their reactions. “Ronaldo will get a chance to shake the hands of the world cup winner, lionel!!!,” one wrote, in reference to Lionel’s historic World Cup win in December.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi ❤️🥰pic.twitter.com/jSGRcUoZm0
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) January 19, 2023
The handshake was just a tease, as fans were treated to an incredibly lively game immediately, with Argentinian wonder Messi scoring a goal in the first three minutes! He dropped the ball into the back of the net after an impressive run against the defenders.
However, Ronaldo responded in the 33rd minute, as the Portuguese forward was awarded a penalty after being taken out in the box by the goalkeeper. The superstar, who joined the Saudi Arabian team on a two-and-a-half-year deal after his Manchester United contract was up in November, evened up the score with his goal. Just before half time, Ronaldo added a second goal to his resume.
It was certainly a match for the ages, as a Saudi Arabian businessman paid $2.6 million on an auction for a golden ticket to watch the two greats go head-to-head, per CNN. The winner of the “Beyond Imagination” ticket gets to attend the opening ceremony, watch the match from enviable seats and has the chance to meet Ronaldo and Messi. The two greats have not competed against each other since Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League in December 2020.
Meanwhile, in one of his last games in the Premier League last April, Ronaldo dedicated his 100th goal to his newborn son who had tragically died five days before. The athlete had returned to his team that day after a leave of absence following his and his girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez’s announcement of the passing of their baby.