Christiano Ronaldo And Messi: ‘Happy To Be Back On Pitch’ Says The Portugese Star

“Happy to be back on the pitch,” Ronaldo says after a recent friendly against Messi and PSG.

Christiano Ronaldo And Messi: Football superstar Ronaldo made his debut on Thursday at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, playing for the Saudi All-Star XI in a friendly exhibition match against Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain. When Ronaldo made his debut in the Gulf state, he scored twice in the high-scoring game.

Although the French team won 5-4, it was a memorable game for Ronaldo because it was his first time playing on a field since the World Cup in Qatar. His personal Twitter account was updated on Friday with photos from the historic match and the statement,

“So delighted to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet. It’s great to see familiar faces.”

The photos captured Ronaldo in a variety of states of mind. A few shots show him and his Saudi colleagues engaging in his trademark “Siuuu” celebration. In another, he’s holding the trophy for “player of the match.”

The final photo was the most memorable since it showed Ronaldo and Messi, two of the greatest football players of all time, exchanging words and a side hug.

PSG fielded a somewhat strong squad, adorned with several world-class footballers, for the much-anticipated matchup. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr., and Messi started up front, while Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, and Achraf Hakimi anchored a strong defence.

Ronaldo’s participation as captain of the All-Star XI gave the Saudi Arabian team a great boost of confidence, despite the fact that they were outmatched by their opponent.

In just the third minute of the match, Messi lived up to his reputation by giving PSG a 1-0 lead. It took almost half an hour, but Ronaldo finally tied the game with a penalty kick when he collided with PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas. For a few more minutes, Juan Bernart was sent off for PSG after an unnecessary sliding tackle on the last man.

The French club didn’t give up after the defeat and kept trying to break through the opposition’s defence and score.

Just before halftime, Marquinhos scored to give them a 2-1 advantage. Neymar missed a penalty kick minutes later that would have put Paris Saint-Germain farther ahead.

With the score tied at two goals apiece at halftime, Ronaldo scored in the final seconds of stoppage time to bring All-Star XI back into the game.

Only console gaming play was shown in the second half. The Saudi brigade was not in the mood to give up while the PSG’s ten-man attack force ramped up their efforts.

All-Star XI always came storming back whenever the Ligue 1 heavyweights seized the lead. In the 60th minute, with PSG up 4-3, both Ronaldo and Messi were substituted off by their coaches. Ekitike, a striker for Paris, came off the bench and scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute.

In the second half, All-Star forward Talisca cut the deficit to one with a spectacular goal. However, PSG emerged victorious after a nail-biting contest.

Al Nassr, the team Ronaldo has signed with, will play Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League on January 22.