PSG superstar Lionel Messi posts Instagram story showing him interacting with Cristiano Ronaldo in Riyadh
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi has posted an Instagram story that featured him interacting with arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo and Messi faced off in a friendly match on PSG's tour to the Middle East. The Portuguese represented Riyadh All-Star XI, consisting of players from Saudi Arabian clubs Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
Ronaldo made the switch to Al Nassr in December last year after his contract with Manchester United was terminated by mutual consent. He has been made the world's highest-paid footballer by the Saudi Arabian club and is reportedly set to earn a salary of around £177 million per year.
You can view Lionel Messi's Instagram story featuring himself and Cristiano Ronaldo below:
The friendly match between PSG and Riyadh All-Star XI saw both the superstars of world football, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, get on the scoresheet. La Pulga opened the scoring in the third minute before the all-time top-scorer in men's international football equalized for the home side in the 34th minute.
PSG's Juan Bernat was then sent off five minutes after Ronaldo's goal, but Marquinhos scored two minutes before half-time to restore the French giants' lead. However, Ronaldo was on the mark yet again to equalize for his side deep into first-half stoppage time and ensure the teams went into the break level at 2-2.
PSG's Sergio Ramos (53') and Riyadh XI's Jang Hyun-soo (56') each scored a goal for their respective sides within 11 minutes of the restart. However, the Parisians soon ran away with the game.
Kylian Mbappe converted his spot-kick on the hour-mark after Neymar had missed one in the first half. Hugo Ekitike then scored in the 78th minute to give his side a 5-3 lead.
Talisca scored from a well-taken strike from outside the box in injury time but that wasn't enough for his side to make a comeback in the game. The match ended 5-4 in Lionel Messi and Co.'s favor.
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So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!👍🏼 https://t.co/qZqKGHsrVD
What next for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo began his club career in Saudi Arabia with the friendly against PSG. He will now be expected to feature for Al-Nassr in their upcoming fixtures, starting with a league encounter against Ettifaq on Sunday, January 22.
A Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al Ittihad could be his second appearance for his new club. It remains to be seen whether he can win it all in Asia after capturing everything in Europe.
Lionel Messi, on the other hand, will hope to recapture his pre-World Cup form for PSG. The French giants have lost twice in Ligue 1 since the restart, which saw their lead at the top of the league table over second-placed RC Lens cut to just three points.
The Parisians will want to build momentum to steamroll through the second half of the season. Next up, they will face US Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France on January 23 before returning to Ligue 1 action against Stade de Reims on January 29.