Cristiano Ronaldo is flanked by Lionel Messi and Neymar. (AP)
PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal Saudi All-Star XI Highlights: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in his first game in Saudi Arabia since signing for Al Nassr. The Portuguese international led the Saudi All Star XI in a friendly fixture against Paris Saint Germain in Riyadh. The European giants won 5-4, with both Lionel Messi – Ronaldo’s long-time rival – and Kylian Mbappe also on the scoresheet.
It was a huge occassion for Saudi Arabia, with the match an entertaining prospect for the first hour. Messi scored in the first few minutes, Ronaldo won a penalty to equalise. The Portuguese would equalise again to even out Marquinhos’ goal, before PSG took control in the second, thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty. The Frenchman was, by far, the best player on the night.
Lineups: PSG: Navas; Hakimi, Ramos, Marquinhos, Bernat; Ruiz, Soler, Sanches; Messi, Neymar, Mbappe. Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI: Al Owais; Al Ghanam, Soo Jang, Al Bulayhi, Abdulhamid; Kanno, Gustavo, Pereira; Carilloa, Talisca, Ronaldo.
Watch PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal Saudi All-Star XI Highlights:
Live Blog
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo Highlights: PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal Saudi All-Star XI Football Match
00:39 (IST)20 Jan 2023
FULL TIME
A nine-goal thriller comes to an end.
PSG 5-4 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:39 (IST)20 Jan 2023
90 + 3': Talisca pulls one back
Brilliant finish from Riyadh's most dangerous player in the second half. Received the ball at the edge of the box and fired a pinpoint shot into the bottom corner. Wonderful goal.
PSG 5-4 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:35 (IST)20 Jan 2023
89': Chance for Pereira
Ball sails over the bar as his close-range side-foot finish does not hit the target. Should have scored.
PSG 5-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:28 (IST)20 Jan 2023
83': Riyadh looking for response
It has been a slower, more laboured performance since the changes took the superstars off the pitch. The Saudi side are desperate for some inspiration to get back into this.
PSG 5-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:23 (IST)20 Jan 2023
78': EKITIKE SCORES
The striker comes off the bench, keeps his run going in a PSG counterattack aided by a disastrous error at the back, and smashes into the far corner.
PSG 5-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:19 (IST)20 Jan 2023
74': Carillo misses
From a promising position at the edge of the box, the winger places his far post shot wide.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:17 (IST)20 Jan 2023
72': Talisca tries to create
The skillfull Brazilian seems Riyadh's only hope of evening the tie, this time going from long range to test Donnaruma in goal.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh Al-Stars XI
00:14 (IST)20 Jan 2023
68': Pace falls
After a host of changes, the pace of this game come down significantly.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:08 (IST)20 Jan 2023
62': Messi comes off too
He opened the scoring, but only gets an hour. Mbappe, who had been brilliant, also comes off. And so does Neymar after an assist and missed penalty as Galtier makes a host of changes.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:06 (IST)20 Jan 2023
61': Ronaldo goes off
In his first outing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo is given an hour. He scored a poaching goal and penalty. Business as usual.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:04 (IST)20 Jan 2023
60': Mbappe converts
After Neymar's first-half miss, it's the Frenchman's turn. And he slots home.
PSG 4-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:03 (IST)20 Jan 2023
58': Penalty to PSG!
Mbappe's cutback is hit by Messi first time, which clatters into a defender's hand.
PSG 3-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
00:01 (IST)20 Jan 2023
54': SOO JAN EQUALISES
Corner down the right as the defender drifts to the near post and glances his header past Navas.
PSG 3-3 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:59 (IST)19 Jan 2023
53': RAMOS SCORES
Sensational skill from Mbappe, beating three men by chopping and turning down the left, taking the ball to the byline and cutting back for Ramos' late run into the box.
PSG 3-1 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:57 (IST)19 Jan 2023
52': Mbappe's sighter needs a big save
Finds the ball down the left, cuts in on his right, and takes aim to the far corner and forces a big hand from Al Owais.
PSG 2-2 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:54 (IST)19 Jan 2023
50': End to end
Neymar unleashes Messi whose chipped shot is, inexplicably, saved by Al Owais using his hands despite being 10 yards out of the box. Likely knew Messi was Argentine.
Moments later, Ronaldo was found in behind in space, he held the ball up which ultimately fell to Talisca outside the box, and his long-ranger came very close to the crossbar.
PSG 2-2 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:53 (IST)19 Jan 2023
48': Big save from Navas
Zonal marking with 10 men caught out, as a brilliant corner was headed goalward and met by a strong hand by Navas.
PSG 2-2 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:50 (IST)19 Jan 2023
Second half commences
A four-goal, 45-minute act to follow up.
PSG 2-2 Riyadh All-Stars XI
23:32 (IST)19 Jan 2023
Breathless half
Ronaldo, Messi on the scoresheet. Two penalties, one saved. A sending off.
Saudi Arabia getting their money's worth at half time.
PSG 2-2 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:32 (IST)19 Jan 2023
45 4': Ronaldo scores!
He won and took a tame free kick, before a hopeful long shot is rebounded to his left foot and he converts.
PSG 2-2 Al Nassr-Al Hilal. HALF-TIME.
23:28 (IST)19 Jan 2023
45 + 2': Neymar misses!
Having won it so well, he was always going to take it. But his hop and skip run-up does not fool Al Owais, who saves!
PSG 2-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:27 (IST)19 Jan 2023
45 1': VAR check complete, penlaty to PSG
Looked a nailed-on penalty. Referee reverses his decision.
PSG 2-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:26 (IST)19 Jan 2023
45': BIG SAVE
Mbappe's rapid pace on show in that PSG counter, playing off Messi's brilliant weight of pass to force a big save from Al Owais.
Moments later, Neymar's trickery in the box leads to a challenge, but the referee refuses to point to the spot.
PSG 2-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:24 (IST)19 Jan 2023
43': PSG SCORE
PSG break with a counterattack and win a corner.
Neymar and Mbappe have more interplay down the left, before the latter's cross is tapped in by Marquinhos.
PSG 2-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:20 (IST)19 Jan 2023
39': Bernat sent off
PSG playing with 10 now, after the Spaniard's sliding challenge on the last man.
PSG 1-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:19 (IST)19 Jan 2023
38': PSG building again
Soler and Hakimi getting a lot of space down the right as Riyadh stay pre-occupied with Mbappe on the other wing. Anticipate Messi to drift int that open space as the French side continue to build.
PSG 1-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:13 (IST)19 Jan 2023
32': RONALDO SLOTS IN THE PEN
Never in doubt.
PSG 1-1 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:12 (IST)19 Jan 2023
31': Navas and Ronaldo clash, PENALTY
A teasing delivery into the box is met by Ronaldo, and as Navas came out to punch it, his fist caught the Portuguese striker and the referee calls a penalty.
No secret who is going to take this.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:09 (IST)19 Jan 2023
28': Rare Riyadh attack
Talisca pins Ramos to take a long ball in behind the PSG back line, but his tame effort is easily saved by Navas. They need an out ball.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:05 (IST)19 Jan 2023
24': Mbappe scores an offside goal
Messi's brilliant through ball in behind Riyadh's defence was met by Mbappe, who rounded the keeper to comfortably score. But his run was a bit too early, getting caught offside.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:04 (IST)19 Jan 2023
23': French side playing to the gallery
Bernat and Mbappe's give-and-go is brilliant, with Mbappe's backheel causing a gasp in the stadium, but the cutback is not met by a PSG body.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
23:02 (IST)19 Jan 2023
22': Rusty Messi
He has been very promising in a drifting role at the edge of the box, and got the early goal, but there is a something missing in his end product so far.
In plenty of space, attempts to chip the ball over the defence to play in Mbappe, and overhits it woefully.
Not that it's unexpected, but this is a snail's pace for PSG.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:59 (IST)19 Jan 2023
18': Another close call for PSG
The French side imposing themselves now.
Mbappe plays a one-two down the left and attempts to drag it back to Neymar, and the ball misses his diving effort by a whisker.
Should be 2-0.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:56 (IST)19 Jan 2023
16': Big miss from Neymar
The Brazilian has been promising so far, but should have done better with that chance.
Hakimi in acres of space down the right, finds him with a pinpoint grounded cross, which he shoots right at the keeper.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:52 (IST)19 Jan 2023
12': Navas forced into a solid save
Gustavo found space at the edge of the box and struck a well-drilled side-footed shot low down Navas' right, to which the keeper waqs equal with a strong hand.
Riyadh playing themselves in now.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:50 (IST)19 Jan 2023
10': Riyadh building
They played the ball out wide nicely, and a good cross was aimed into the path of Ronaldo on the far post, before Sergio Ramos dealt with it coolly.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI
22:47 (IST)19 Jan 2023
7': Ronaldo finds space
The Portuguese striker was slotted into a one-v-one with Navas, but his left-footed shot to the far post is saved comfortably.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:44 (IST)19 Jan 2023
3': MESSI SCORES!
That's a statement. Ronaldo plays his first game in Riyadh, but Messi has scored before him.
Great interplay between Neymar and Mbappe down the left, and the former finds Messi's run with a brilliant chipped through ball which Messi slots past the keeper.
PSG 1-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:40 (IST)19 Jan 2023
KICK OFF
It's Messi vs Ronaldo, in all likelihood, one last time. Here we go!
PSG 0-0 Al Nassr-Al Hilal
22:24 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI Live: Mbappe and Neymar supporting
The duo may be supporting players in the storyline in this friendly dominated by Mesi and Ronaldo, but a decisive showing from them could make quite the statement. The eyes are not on them, but they may end up being at the end.
22:13 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI Live: Lineups are in, Messi starts!
PSG's famous front three - Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr - all start against the Saudi All-Stars.
?? The Parisian starting XI for #PSGRiyadhSeasonTeam! #PSGQatarTour2023 pic.twitter.com/ENU3xawEuy
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 19, 2023
22:09 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI Live: Final chapter in storied rivalry
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have played against each other 36 times for club and country. This one has the least on the line, but as their potentially final meeting, may be the most special.
22:03 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al Nassr-Al Hilal XI Live: Messi & co arrive for special friendly
A special jersey for a special night ? #PSGxJordan pic.twitter.com/Iiht6pEBwt
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) January 19, 2023
21:46 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al-Nassr Live: GOAT debate to be settled tonight?
Ronaldo and Messi, who have dominated football's debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) for the best part of 10 years, will face off on the pitch on Thursday for the first time since December 2020 when Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been directly involved in 1,894 goals combined at club level.
21:45 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al-Nassr Live: The rivalry resumes
A new chapter in the celebrated rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will unfurl on Thursday when they meet in an exhibition match as the Portugal forward gears up for his first game in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr.
21:33 (IST)19 Jan 2023
PSG vs Al-Nassr Live: Hello and Welcome
Cristiano Ronaldo will captain the all-star Saudi league side that will face Lionel Messi's PSG in a friendly tonight. All the eyes of football fans around the world will be on this game. Stay tuned for live updates.