Ronaldo to captain Saudi XI against Messi’s PSG

Karan Tejwani

• 17 Jan 2023 08:20 CST
• 2 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to captain his combined Al Nassr and Al Hilal side in their friendly against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr on New Year’s Eve after lengthy negotiations following the termination of his contract at Manchester United in November.

He moved to Al Nassr in a deal that made him the highest paid footballer in the world, earning about $200 million a year and other benefits along with his playing career.

READ: Hazard could follow Ronaldo to Al-Nassr

Now, he is set to play his first game since the move and while it won’t be for Al Nassr, he will still be leading the team out for the game.

Ronaldo to lead Saudi XI

The combined team is set to take on the stars of PSG, including Lionel Messi, in what is set to be another meeting between the two players.

They last played each other in 2020 in the Champions League when Ronaldo was at Juventus and Messi was at Barcelona – since then, they’ve both switched clubs.

READ: Weghorst will be an UPGRADE on Ronaldo at Man Utd

Ronaldo left Manchester United in November following an unsanctioned interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticized the club and manager, souring his relationship with them.

His move was confirmed at the end of December, as Al Nassr went ahead of Al Hilal in the race for the Portuguese star and secured his signature.

He was unveiled to the fans a few days after that to a pack crowd, but the fans will have to wait a little longer to witness his full league debut for the club.

PSG are travelling to Saudi Arabia for the friendly as part of an agreement to play the match, and many of their stars are expected to take part in the game.

They will play a side called Riyadh XI – a combination of players from the two clubs – and the game will take place at the King Fahd International Stadium, the biggest football venue in Saudi Arabia.