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FootballMatch between Messi and Ronaldo next month in Saudi Arabia
Messi and Ronaldo may no longer play on the same continent, but that won’t stop them from facing each other one last time. Perhaps the last.
Lionel Messi will find his great rival, perhaps for the last time.
IMAGO/Xinhua
Lionel Messi’s Paris SG will go to Riyadh on January 19 to face a selection of the best players from Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo was recently transferred, the capital club said on Monday.
The Parisians will first go to Doha on January 17, as they have been accustomed to doing for training courses or tours since the club was taken over in 2011 by the sovereign fund Qatar Sports Investment (QSI). But, beyond the financial aspect of the operation, which will involve the sponsors of PSG, the trip will be an opportunity to organize the reunion, on the ground, of Messi and Ronaldo, historical rivals of world football for over ten years old.
His arrival is part of the desire of the authorities of Saudi Arabia to draw the spotlight on their championship, with a view, perhaps, to filing a joint candidacy with Greece and Egypt to organize the World Cup in 2030, while its Qatari neighbor has just hosted the 2022 World Cup.
The opportunity is therefore good for the kingdom to plan a new meeting between Ronaldo, five-time Ballon d’Or, and Messi, seven-time winner of the trophy, at the international stadium of King Fahd, in Riyadh.
Their rivalry animated world football from 2009 to 2018, when they both played in the Spanish Premier League, Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at FC Barcelona. In Riyadh, they will play against each other perhaps for the last time, if no other such matches are scheduled in the future.
(AFP)