Next week, two of the greatest football players of this generation, Lionel Messi and cristiano ronaldo jr., will play each other in what might be their final match.
The fans are really excited about the Riyadh Season Cup, a friendly tournament that takes place from January 29 to February 8 and pits Messi’s Major League Soccer team Inter Miami against cristiano ronaldo jr Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr against another local club, Al Hilal.
Known as “The Last Dance,” it possesses all the elements of a timeless song. Tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime event on February 1st went on sale earlier this week. Seatpick.com reports that passes start at $130 (Dh477) and go up to a whooping $11,214 (Dh41,183) for Platinum seating.
It has been a long time since Messi and cristiano ronaldo jr assessed each other on a football field, as they once did in the former La Liga of Spain.
This legendary rivalry has captivated fans worldwide in addition to pitting rival supporters of the two super teams, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, against one another in the “El Clasico” for bragging rights.
It was not the same ‘El Clasico’ after the two parted ways.
The last time the two faced off was in an exciting exhibition game in Saudi Arabia where Messi, who was playing for Paris Saint-Germain, the French Ligue 1 winners, faced off against a Riyadh All-Star XI that also included cristiano ronaldo jr.
Unfortunately for fans, the pair did not face one another at the World Cup in Qatar.
Lucky fans will, however, be able to see this final dance between the Portuguese and the Argentine.
It has been reported that the match will be broadcast on DAZN outside of North America and on the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in the USA and the UK.
Incredible campaign
Upon their arrival in the Kingdom on Friday, Messi and his group were greeted with Arabic coffee and flowers at the King Khalid International Airport.
They didn’t waste any time and immediately got to work in Riyadh, holding an intense yet enjoyable training session.
Since taking on the role of brand ambassador for Saudi Tourism, Messi’s connection to the Middle Eastern nation has grown.
His most recent campaign in particular, where he ‘literally’ dispels myths about the Kingdom, has received a lot of praise for its originality.
In the video, he says, “I always discover things about Saudi that I never expected.
After that, he unleashes a vicious left-footer into a wall that says, “Just a desert.”
The video then cuts to beautiful Saudi Arabian landscapes, including views of Jeddah and the capital Riyadh, the Red Sea, the Aseer Mountains, and the snow-covered Tabuk Mountains.
He then debunks a number of other stereotypes, one of which is directed towards women. ‘Girls can’t,’ says the wall in front of him.
The video cuts to footage of DJ Cosmicat DJ, Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, and the Saudi women’s national team, just as he is about to take his shot. A Saudi girl dressed in football gear runs in and smashes the ball into the wall.
There was no respite in the second half as Jang Hyun-soo’s header leveled the score once more after Sergio Ramos gave PSG the lead again following more outstanding play from Mbappé.
After converting another penalty, Mbappé added a goal of his own just before cristiano ronaldo jr and Messi were replaced after the hour.
The game went on at a furious pace even without the two famous players, and Hugo Ekitike, a young player, finally put PSG out of sight by coolly capping off a counterattack.
