Riyadh XI vs PSG: Messi Scores Inside First Three Minutes During Ronaldo Clash

• Lionel Messi opened the scoring in PSG's friendly game against Riyadh All-Stars
• The 35-year-old scored inside three minutes to give the French champions a lead
• The game also marked Cristiano Ronaldo's since his mega move to Saudi Arabia

Lionel Messi scored a goal against an all-star Saudi Arabian team, featuring Al-Nassr’s newest signing Cristiano Ronaldo, in the opening three minutes on Thursday.

The match was Ronaldo's first since signing for the club from Manchester United in December last year.

But his old foe, Messi netted the first goal not long after the first whistle to give Paris Saint-Germain a 1-0 lead.

How did Messi score?

The game kicked off at 8pm local time at the King Fahd International Stadium, in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

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Messi latched onto a lofted through ball from Neymar Junior and flicked the ball past the on-rushing goalkeeper, David Ospina.

PSG are playing in the fixture as part of their mid-season tour of the Middle East.

The friendly game between Riyadh XI and PSG marks the first time Ronaldo and Messi will go up against each other, since the group stages of the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League - when they represented Juventus and Barcelona respectively.

Fan splashes on Messi-Ronaldo ticket

Meanwhile, one diehard football fan has spent $2.6-million for a VIP ticket for the final showdown, ESPN reports.

The exhibition match will feature PSG - including Messi - facing a select side made up of players from Al-Hilal and Ronaldo's new club, Al-Nassr.

The game will be played at the King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday and has been dubbed as the final showdown between the veterans.

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Sports Brief earlier reported on the vaunted exhibition game between PSG and a select side from Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr dominating headlines throughout the week.

The discussion has centred on perhaps the last match-up between the two veterans, who are eternally in the debate for the best of all-time.

Despite the rivalry between the pair, both Messi and Ronaldo have only respect for one another, which manifested just before the kick-off.