Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from a punch within the face to attain twice in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday in a vigorous reunion together with his nice rival Lionel Messi that demonstrated the monetary firepower of the resource-rich Gulf.
Ronaldo, 37, was decked by PSG ‘keeper Keylor Navas’s flailing fist however he drilled the ensuing penalty after which added one other in a 5-4 exhibition defeat, his first look since transferring to Saudi Arabia in a deal mentioned to whole greater than 400 million euros.
For Qatar-owned PSG, Messi and Kylian Mbappe each scored and Neymar missed a penalty earlier than they withdrew on the hour-mark alongside Ronaldo, who was representing a composite Saudi aspect, to depart the world’s 4 best-paid gamers watching from the bench in Riyadh.
Hundreds of thousands and thousands of euros value of footballers had been on view for the exhibition recreation within the Saudi capital, which comes simply weeks after neighbouring Qatar spent lavishly on the primary World Cup on Arab soil, received by Messi’s Argentina.
Among the packed crowd on the 69,000-seat King Fahd Stadium was a Saudi actual property mogul who paid $2.6 million at public sale for a ticket giving him dressing-room entry to the gamers.
After Ronaldo led out the Riyadh Season Team, drawn from his new membership Al Nassr and Saudi rivals Al Hilal, to flamethrowers and ticker tape, Messi opened the scoring after simply three minutes when he was fed by the livewire Mbappe.
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Flush on the cheekbone
Ronaldo’s first contact in Saudi soccer was a throw-in however he had a shot saved and a penalty enchantment waved away earlier than Navas caught him flush on the cheekbone as they challenged for a excessive ball.
Ronaldo, nonetheless rubbing the pink mark on his face and grimacing, fired previous Navas to make it 1-1 on 34 minutes.
Five minutes later, PSG’s Juan Bernat was given a straight pink card for a foul on Salem Al-Dawsari — Saudi Arabia’s matchwinner of their well-known group-stage World Cup victory over Argentina.
Messi, maybe irritated by the depth of the mid-season pleasant, aimed a reproachful have a look at Ronaldo, his sparring companion of their days enjoying for Barcelona and Real Madrid.
PSG had been quickly again in entrance due to Marquinhos’s delicate end earlier than Neymar missed his spot-kick, taking pictures tamely after a trademark stutter run-up.
Minutes later, Ronaldo hit his second equaliser deep into first-half harm time, heading in opposition to the put up after which burying the rebound to make it 2-2 at halftime.
Mbappe put PSG again in entrance shortly after the break, turning his marker inside-out and laying on a straightforward end for Sergio Ramos, earlier than Hyun-soo Jang discovered a 3rd equaliser for the hosts.
But Mbappe thumped house a penalty and Hugo Ekitike scored to make it 5-3 earlier than Brazilian striker Talisca grabbed the Riyadh group’s fourth objective on the demise.
It was the primary outing in oil-rich Saudi for Ronaldo, who will make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr on Sunday after signing for greater than 200 million euros, in line with a supply near the membership.
The veteran Portuguese star might be paid a further 200 million euros, the supply instructed AFP, to be an envoy for Saudi Arabia’s anticipated 2030 World Cup joint internet hosting bid with Egypt and Greece.
Originally printed as Cristiano Ronaldo punched in face in blockbuster match in opposition to Lionel Messi
