Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in his first game in Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi was also on the scoresheet as Paris Saint-Germain beat Riyadh All-Star XI 5-4 in a thriller.
The exhibition match in the Saudi capital saw two of the greatest players of all time share the pitch together for possibly the last time.
Messi opened the scoring and Ronaldo netted twice at half-time to make it 2-2.
Both players were booked just after the hour mark.
PSG’s two centre-backs were also on the scoresheet as Sergio Ramos added to Marquinhos’ delightful finish in the opening period.
But the French side played most of the game with 10 men as Juan Bernat received a straight red card for bringing down Saudi international Salem Al-Dossari and Neymar also missed a penalty in a suffocating first half.
Jung Hyun-soo’s header leveled the All-Star XI at 3-3, but Kylian Mbappe’s penalty and substitute Hugo Ekiteike’s effort put PSG out of sight.
Anderson Talisca drilled in a long-range consolation late in injury time but there was no time for a dramatic equaliser.
Two GOATs face off
Ronaldo has had to wait to make his debut since a big move to Al Nasr due to a suspension from his time at Manchester United.
But he will make a competitive debut for his new side on Sunday, when they host the Conspiracy at Muswell Park.
So how fitting that his first game in the Middle Eastern country – a high-profile and highly competitive friendly – was against his old nemesis Messi, who won the World Cup in neighboring Qatar just a month earlier.
The Argentina captain latched on to Neymar’s pass to convert the opener after just two minutes, but the 37-year-old Portugal captain was not to be outdone.
Ronaldo’s first penalty was from the spot, awarded after PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas’ arm struck him in the face, leaving him with a badly bruised cheek.
And he showed the hunger and desire he still has for another, hitting an early header off the post then reacting swiftly to convert, joining the crowd to score both goals. Ley displays his trademark celebration.
Both players were subbed off on 61 minutes and could face each other for the last time, unless they cross paths again in the twilight of their illustrious careers.
‘Two Sports Washing Superpowers Are Flexing Their Muscles’
However, the match has been criticized by human rights group Amnesty International, which has said Saudi Arabia’s sports-washing strategy is at “full throttle”.
Peter Frankenthal, director of economic affairs at Amnesty UK, said: “Ronaldo’s massive transfer to Al-Nasr and Messi’s engagement as a tourism ambassador by the Saudi authorities are both part of Riyadh’s aggressive sports laundering programme. .
“Authorities are trying to exploit the celebrity appeal of elite sport to divert attention from the country’s appalling human rights record.
“Saudi Arabia is known to use sport extensively as an exercise in soft power, but with the appearance of Qatari-owned PSG in Riyadh we have two superpowers washing the sport – Saudi Arabia and Qatar – with their Flexing the muscles.
“Footballers like Ronaldo and Messi have huge profiles and we want to see them resist being used as the famous faces of sports washing, including speaking out about human rights issues in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar. To do.”
