INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated football for more than a decade and the world will on Thursday get the
chance to see another contest between the Portuguese and Argentine, which may not be the last time they face each other.After 20 years in
Europe&s top leagues, Ronaldo has taken his talents to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr after his contract with Manchester United was terminated
and ironically his first match in the Middle East will be against his age-old rival, Reuters reported.Messi&s Paris St Germain take on a
combined Al Hilal-Al Nassr team in an exhibition match, giving Ronaldo and Messi a chance to rekindle their old ‘El Clasico& rivalry when
they played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.With nothing for Messi left to prove in Europe or on the international stage, there
is also 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,
Reuters reported.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.&Messi and Ronaldo won every Ballon
d&Or award from 2008-2017 until Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric broke their hegemony and the Argentine has since won two more to lead 7-5
over his Portuguese rival in the race to be the world&s best player, Reuters reported.When the pair first faced off in 2008 as young
upstarts looking to make their mark, Manchester United and Barcelona played out a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.Since then they have
never both been involved in a goalless draw for their clubs and national teams in memorable matches with millions tuning in to witness the
greats in their prime.The spotlight was on the pair at the World Cup in Qatar last year but whereas Ronaldo faded and was left out of
Portugal&s starting lineup in the knockout stages as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, Messi went on to lift the trophy.Messi
became the first player ever to score in every round at a World Cup and finished with seven goals as he completed his trophy collection and
was named player of the tournament, Reuters reported.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.The post Ronaldo v Messi: the last dance in Saudi
Arabia or a fresh start? first appeared on Ariana News.
