Enlarge image
The possibly last duel between Messi and Ronaldo is coming up
Photo: ALBERT GEA / REUTERS
A super VIP ticket for what may be the last duel between football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has been auctioned in Saudi Arabia for the equivalent of almost 2.5 million euros.
Local real estate mogul Mushref al-Ghamdi trumped all other interested parties with his bid for the ticket, which comes with numerous special rights.
The proceeds of the auction will benefit charitable purposes.
Insert game in Ronaldo's new home
Thanks to his auction success, the millionaire will enjoy a few perks in Thursday's deposit match between a selection from Ronaldo's new club Al-Nassr and Saudi rivals A-Hilal on the one hand, and world champion Messi and his club Paris Saint-Germain.
This gives al-Ghamdi the opportunity to take photos with both superstars and other players, as well as access to the dressing rooms in the stadium's catacombs.
The encounter is planned as Ronaldo's debut in his new adopted country.
The Portuguese veteran, who is said to collect 200 million euros a year for a contract until 2025, is said to make his competitive debut for Al-Nassr in the championship on Sunday.
Both have business ties with Saudi Arabia
Messi and PSG first travel to Qatar, the home country of the club owners, on Wednesday.
On the way back, the luxury ensemble, which also includes French superstar Kylian Mbappé, makes a stopover in Riyadh for the PR match.
Due to Ronaldo's move to the Arab kingdom, further duels between the ex-European champion and Messi at a higher level seem very unlikely.
During their engagements in Spain, Ronaldo and Messi had exchanged unforgettable blows with their then clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
However, joint campaigns by the two former world footballers for Saudi Arabia are conceivable.
While Ronaldo is initially supposed to bring sporting attention to the country, Messi is already the official tourism ambassador for the Saudis.
mfu/sid
