Cristiano Ronaldo set to captain Al Nassr-Al Hilal combined XI for match against Lionel Messi's PSG
Cristiano Ronaldo has been chosen as the captain of the Al Nassr-Al Hilal combined XI for the friendly against Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this week.
Cristiano Ronaldo's first match on Saudi Arabian soil is expected to come against Lionel Messi's PSG. He is likely to be involved in a friendly between Les Parisiens and an All-Star XI, consisting of players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
PSG officially confirm they will travel to Riyadh to play an Al-Nassr/Al-Hilal XI on January 19. The match will see Ronaldo vs. Messi. https://t.co/s2UF3AeGph
The said match is scheduled to take place at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on Thursday, January 19. Al-Nassr boss Rudi Garcia recently confirmed that the Portuguese icon will play in the friendly before making his bow for the Saudi Pro League table-toppers.
It has now emerged that Ronaldo will not only feature in the exhibition match, but will also captain the All-Star XI. He has been tasked with leading Riyadh's combined team when they face Messi and Co.
Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Entertainment, confirmed the news on Twitter. He posted a video of himself handing the armband to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner on social media.
الوعد ان شاءالله يوم ١٩ يناير … لقاء فوق الخيال … ومدير الفريق الكابتن خالد الشنيف ان شاءالله والتشكيلة غداً بيعلنها المدرب وخالد … اتمنى يومها ننسى الهلال والنصر ساعتين ونصير كلنا موسم الرياض… وبعد الساعتين نوقف الهدنة 😂🇸🇦❤️ https://t.co/nttB07IgBb
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to make his debut for Al Nassr
While Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the friendly against PSG this week, it is worth noting that he is yet to make his debut for Al Nassr. He has not been able to play for Al-Aalami despite joining the club towards the end of December.
The 37-year-old missed Al Nassr's last two matches as he was serving a suspension for smashing an Everton fan's phone last April. He is now expected to make his bow for his new employers in their Saudi Pro League clash against Ettifaq on Sunday, January 22.
Could Lionel Messi follow Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia?
Lionel Messi led Argentina to their first FIFA World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar last month. Despite being 35 years old, he has shown that he is still at the top of his game.
However, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. The Middle Eastern nation is keen to lure more high-profile players to the country and Lionel Messi is also on their agenda.
Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal have been credited with an interest in signing the PSG superstar, whose contract expires this summer. It remains to be seen if they can get such a deal across the line.