Ronaldo set to face PSG, Messi in first game in Saudi Arabia

By The Associated Press

Cristiano Ronaldo attends the official unveiling as a new member of Al Nassr soccer club in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. Ronaldo, who has won five Ballon d'Ors awards for the best soccer player in the world and five Champions League titles, will play outside of Europe for the first time in his storied career. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Amr Nabil]

PARIS (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game in Saudi Arabia is set to be against Paris Saint-Germain. That could mean a possible reunion with his career-long rival Lionel Messi. Qatar-owned PSG says it will play a Jan. 19 friendly in Riyadh on a two-day trip to the region. It’s against a composite team of players from Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and Asian champion Al Hilal. Ronaldo should have to wait until Jan. 22 for a formal debut for Al-Nassr in a league game. World soccer rules require the 37-year-old star to finish serving a two-match suspension imposed by the English Football Association in November.