Ronaldo will debut against Messi on Thursday as Al-Nassr captain
Ronaldo will have the honor of wearing the captain's armband for the match
Another battle between Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is coming. It will take place on Thursday, January 19 in Saudi Arabia.
The reason? A friendly match between Paris Saint-Germain and a best selection from two of Saudi Arabia's top teams, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese star has just joined Al-Nassr, and it has been confirmed and told to Cristiano that he will have the honor of wearing the captain's armband for the match.
It comes as a new opportunity to see these two soccer giants together on the same pitch, as part of the Parisian team's tour of the Middle East this week, which will take them to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Two teams in the Saudi Arabian league are determined to sign Leo Messi, with talk of sums that would exceed the money that Cristiano Ronaldo receives at Al Nassir.
Two teams are willing to pay the Argentine around 350 million euros per season. Al-Hilal (Riyadh) and Al Itihad (Jedah) are the teams that have asked for help from the government to be able to make the offer.
It so happens that both clubs are sanctioned by FIFA and cannot sign until next summer due to irregularities in different operations. In fact, Al-Hilal were the first club to approach Cristiano Ronaldo, but the punishment prevented them from going ahead with the possible signing and remained at Manchester United until November.
MARCA has been reporting everything that is moving in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. The presence of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr has led to an explosion of rumours.
The CR7 deal will not be the last and now the other major players in Saudi Arabian football want to join this buying trend, as the country looks to grow in a sporting aspect.
The Argentine and PSG have already laid the groundwork for another season in France. Messi seems determined to continue competing for the top titles in Europe for another season, but the Saudi teams are not going to give up so easily. They have money, especially since the government has decided to make a clear commitment to football.
Other names that have appeared in recent weeks are those of Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Angel Di Maria, Isco and even Sergio Busquets, as well as Luis Enrique tipped to be appointed as a coach of a club side. As recently as Thursday, there was talk Mesut Ozil signing in Saudi Arabia.
