Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will go head to head in Saudi Arabia tonight as PSG take on a Saudi All-Star XI.
Ronaldo is still to make his debut for his new club Al-Nassr since signing a lucrative contract to join the Saudi Premier League club, because of a suspension rolled over from the end of his time playing for Manchester United.
But he will captain the All-Star side against Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain in the one-off exhibition match.
It could be the last time the two legends of the game go up against one another on the field, with their careers nearing an end.
Here is everything you need to know to watch the game.
When is Saudi All-Star XI vs PSG?
The match is taking place tonight, Thursday 19 January, at 5pm GMT, at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
How to watch on TV
The game will be broadcast on beIN Sports in the UK, and non-customers can also stream the game online via PSG’s YouTube and Facebook pages for a £1.99 fee.
Why is this match happening?
The Qatari-owned PSG are on tour in the region and it is another sign of the growing influence of the Middle East on world football that two superstars of the game are facing off in Saudi Arabia.
It might be that this is not the last time it happens, either.
With nothing for Messi left to prove in Europe or on the international stage, there is speculation that Al Hilal want to bring the 35-year-old to Saudi Arabia when his PSG contract expires at the end of the season.
Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Finance, had recently indicated that the door was open for moves by Saudi clubs to try and sign both of soccer’s biggest stars.
"Well we talked about that before and the quality of life is a critical part of the 2030 vision and quality of life in Saudi has improved, sports is a significant part of that," he told CNBC when asked about Ronaldo or Messi moving to the country.
"The young population of Saudi watch sports and perform sports and anything we can do to enhance this industry will pay back and improve the quality of life not only for our people but for the working people from outside."
Should the Argentine move to Saudi Arabia, Thursday’s encounter between the sport’s two biggest stars of the modern era could signal the dawn of a new age in Asian football.
Additional reporting by Reuters
