After the FIFA World Cup 2022, the world of football is soon going to witness the next big event as on 19 January Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is going to play a friendly match against a select side made up of players from Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal in Riyadh.
Messi was back for training at the PSG ground after a short break following Argentina’s victory at the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, Ronaldo who said goodbye to Manchester United after some friction with the coach and team management, joined Al Nassr. The Portuguese player entered into a contract with the football club that runs till 2025 and is reportedly worth around 200 million euros.
Saudi Arabia, which initially defeated Messi’s Argentina during the FIFA World Cup 2022, is looking to increase its profile in the world of football. The country is also looking towards bidding for the hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup along with Greece and Egypt.
Football clubs Al Hilal and Al Nassr are two of the most successful teams in Saudi Arabia and the induction of Ronaldo in Al Nassr is surely going to give them a boost.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were the two-star players from the FIFA World Cup and both plays for PSG. The club will surely enter the fields more confidently having these two-star players on their teams.
But, after the World Cup, Messi and Mbappe will also look towards another achievement in the world of football- the Ballon d’Or. Lionel Messi has already won the title seven times and this year we can witness the World Cup rivalry extend for the Ballon d’Or title.
The trophy is given to the best football player in Europe and while French players like Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema have won the Ballon d’Or, the 24-year-old Mbappe has never been on the podium.
(With inputs from agencies)
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