‘Nice to see some old friends’ – Ronaldo and Messi enjoy reunion as eternal rivals star in nine-goal Saudi All-Stars vs PSG friendly

• PSG faced Saudi All-Star XI
• Two all-time greats among the goals
• Nothing but respect between the pair

WHAT HAPPENED? The two eternal rivals, with 12 Ballons d’Or between them, locked horns once again when Paris Saint-Germain took in an exhibition match against an All-Star XI from the Saudi Arabian Pro League. Ronaldo, who has recently linked up with Al-Nassr, formed part of the home side – netting his first goals since arriving in the Middle East – while 2022 World Cup winner Messi was on target for PSG as an action-packed 5-4 thriller played out in Riyadh, with the French giants eventually running out winners.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo’s post on Instagram, which included a shot of him alongside Messi prior to kick-off, read: “So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!” Messi, meanwhile, shared a short video of himself embracing Ronaldo in the tunnel prior to kick-off, with there no animosity between the pair despite their many years spent turning out for Barcelona and Real Madrid on opposing sides of a fierce Clasico divide.

WHAT NEXT? Ronaldo and Messi may have met for the last time, with the pair heading in different directions when it comes to their club careers, as one starts afresh in Saudi Arabia and the other prepares to sign a new contract in France, while questions have been asked of how long both will continue to turn out at international level.