Excess in all its splendour.
A Saudi real estate tycoon has paid $2.6 million to auction off a ticket for Lionel Messi's friendly match against Cristiano Ronaldo in Riyadh on Thursday, the auction organizer announced on Tuesday.
The match against Paris SG of Argentinian world champion Lionel Messi has a selection made up of the best players from the Saudi teams of Al-Nassr, the new club of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, and Al-Hilal.
To promote this friendly match, Turki al-Sheikh, adviser to the Royal Court and head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, had launched a charity auction.
At stake: a ticket to the match with VIP benefits such as photo opportunities with the players and access to the dressing rooms.
The auction, which started at 1 million Saudi riyals (266,000 dollars, 245,000 euros), ended with an offer of 10 million riyals (2.6 million dollars, 2.4 million euros) made by a real estate magnate, Mushref al-Ghamdi.
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Ronaldo's first game in Saudi Arabia and probably the last duel against Messi
The match will be Cristiano Ronaldo's first in the Saudi kingdom since signing from Al-Nassr in late December.
It will precede his league debut, scheduled for Sunday.
The 37-year-old five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr, will receive 200 million euros and as much to be the future ambassador of the probable Saudi bid for the 2030 World Cup. .
In addition to Ronaldo, the selection of players from Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal will include Salem Al-Dawsari, author of the winning goal in Saudi Arabia's surprise success against Argentina during the World Cup in Qatar.
Opposite, PSG will present themselves among others with the Argentinian world champion Lionel Messi, the French vice-world champion Kylian Mbappé and the Moroccan semi-finalist Achraf Hakimi.