Ronaldo

Ronaldo and Messi might never play head-to-head again but they rose to the moment on Thursday, scoring goals and delighting fans in Riyadh.

Then [Marquinhos](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/297070/Marquinhos) scored a tap-in to make it 2-1, before PSG had the chance to make it 3-1 when Neymar was awarded a penalty after a VAR review. By the time Ronaldo and Messi -- last on the same pitch when Barcelona met Juventus in the Champions League in 2020 -- were substituted after 60 minutes, the score was 4-3. [Juan Bernat](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/164194/Juan-Bernat) was sent off for wiping out Mohamed Kanno on the halfway line. What's certain is that Ronaldo, approaching his 38th birthday and firmly in the final stage of his career, isn't bored of scoring goals, and with seconds left at the end of the first half, he got above Ramos to head against the post and then turn in the rebound. Jumping to head a free-kick floated into the penalty area, he was clattered by former Real Madrid teammate [Keylor Navas](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/73247/Keylor-Navas), and Qatari referee Abdulrahman al Jassim pointed to the spot. Even though it wasn't quite [Real Madrid](/football/team?id=86) against [Barcelona](/football/team?id=83) or [Portugal](/football/team?id=482) vs.

The football superstar recovered from an early blow to bag a brace in a thrilling clash against his long-time rival.

Neymar then had a weak penalty saved by Mohammed al Owais after he was tripped in the area, and Ronaldo made it 2-2 before half-time when he converted the rebound after his header came back off a post. The All Stars, made up of players from Al Hilal and Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr, equalised when the Portugal captain crashed in a penalty after he was fouled by PSG keeper Keylor Navas. WATCH IN THE VIDEO ABOVE: Ronaldo recovers after a punch from PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas to score penalty.

Cristiano Ronaldo embarks on a new journey in Asia on Sunday when the 37-year-old makes his competitive debut for Al Nassr against Al Ettifaq in the Saudi ...

And nice to see some old friends!" "So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo scored as the two rivals faced off one more time in an eventful 5-4 draw between an All-Star XI and PSG.

He was nowhere near a cross and clattered into Ronaldo to concede the penalty for the first goal, and looked shaky throughout the rest of the game. [Scoring from the penalty spot](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/watch-ronaldo-scores-twice-punch-psg-navas/blt1d6666847c9163a9) to get himself off the mark, the 37-year-old's second of the evening was much more impressive. [Messi had the first laugh](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/watch-messi-spoils-ronaldo-party-psg-friendly-riyadh-all-star-xi/bltad5b182a2838cba5), but Ronaldo won Man of the Match.

Two of the game's greats met in an exhibition match in Riyadh - this is what happened and how the game came about.

[The Athletic’s Spanish football coverage](https://theathletic.com/4064085/2023/01/09/barca-barcelona-real-madrid/) has expanded… There was a mass exodus here, too — though this time it was the wholesale substitutions at the hour mark that did the trick for the fans, some of whom paid up to SAR 1,500 (£320, $397) for a ticket, battling one of the coldest nights of the year. Once VAR confirmed the penalty (yes, there was VAR), he attempted his trademark slow run-up penalty, but was thwarted by Al-Owais. At the other end, Ronaldo made sure to get one up on his rival. There followed a collective ‘Siuuu’ with the force of those 67,000 fans, including Ohio-born Youtuber/Ronaldo fanboy Speed, as the Team Riyadh Season skipper powered home his first goal on Saudi soil. For Ronaldo, it is an anticipated league debut at home against Ettifaq 24 hours earlier. Outside the tent-shaped stadium located on the outskirts of Riyadh, which is reminiscent in its own way of Qatar’s Al Bayt Stadium used in the World Cup, fans of the two Riyadh rivals arrived holding hands, a sign of friendship in Arab culture, and donning scarves of each other’s club. The outcome was never in doubt. Ronaldo could not stop smiling as the 67,000 supporters chanted his name in unison before the game began. The same awkward holding of hands between foes-turned-friends was on display minutes before kick-off as Al-Alshaikh was joined by Al-Khelaifi and, somewhat inexplicably, by octogenarian Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. They were here to play an exhibition game against “Riyadh Season XI”, a selection of the top local and foreign players from the Saudi capital’s two powerhouses, Al Hilal and Al Nassr. It was the latest in a growing list that included WWE, Cirque du Soleil, Bruno Mars, BTS and more.