Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey in Saudi Arabia is expected to begin with the upcoming high-voltage exhibition match against the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion Lionel Messi.
With a recent press conference, Paris Saint-Germain recently confirmed that the popular French club will play a friendly match against the Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
However, the team is expected to be a composite one with two or more players from the bench getting a chance to show their skills. Therefore, there has been no official confirmation on Lionel Messi starring at the match yet.
During the 2023 opening week transfer window, Al Nassr acquired the world class Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo with a 2-year deal. The eye watering deal was one of the biggest during that transfer week.
Regrettably, due to facing two-match suspension by English Football Association last November, he won’t be able to play official matches till January 22. Although there has been massive fan expectation of the two current football giants, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo facing each other for once again, before the Portuguese striker’s journey begins in Saudi Arabiya.
So far, no official confirmation has been made about Messi and Ronaldo’s starring in the match. For now, Ronaldo is announced to start his journey in the Middle East with the upcoming January 22 match
When is the game?
- Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET / 08:00 p.m. AST
The upcoming Paris Saint-Germain vs Al Nassr friendly match is scheduled to be held on next Thursday, January 19, 2023. It will begin around 12:00 p.m. ET or 08:00 p.m. AST.
PSG vs Al Nassr Schedule:
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
| Thursday, January 19, 2023 | PSG vs Al Hilal | TBD |
| PSG vs Al Nassr | 12:00 p.m. |
PSG vs Al Nassr Venue:
- Venue: King Fahd Stadium
- Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The King Fah Stadium, popularly known as “Pearl of Stadiums” or “The Pearl” has been selected as the hosting venue for the upcoming pre-season exhibition match between the French club, Paris Saint-Germain and Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr. The multi-purpose stadium with over 68,000 seat capacity is located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
When will Cristiano Ronaldo debut for Al Nassr?
The upcoming exhibition match will not count as an official one. Which is why fans expectation on Cristiano Ronaldo starring in the match has been so high. However, as an exhibition match it won’t count as his official debut for the Middle Eastern club either.
The Portuguese striker’s current two match suspension before the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been keeping his out of the official match field for Al Nassr. During March, he slapped a phone out of an Everton fan’s hand following a defeat against the club. This resulted in his ban from the English Football Association.
Leagues often acknowledge a player’s major pending punishment if they switch clubs between different countries. So, after the ban is lifted on January 22, Cristiano Ronaldo will officially make his debut in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr against Ettifaq.
