Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could well play against each other for a final time when PSG take on a combined Al Nassr and Al Hilal side in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The match will mark Ronaldo's debut in the country after swapping Manchester United for the Middle East at the end of 2022.
After previously spending his entire career in Europe, the Portugal star will now be playing club football in Asia with Al Nassr.
That move to Asia means future battles against Messi could be few and far between, making this clash all the more fascinating.
Will Messi play vs Al Nassr?
In what could be his last chance to play against Ronaldo, Messi is expected to play some part in the friendly match against the Al Nassr/Al-Hilal All-Star team.
Messi has travelled with the PSG team to the Middle East and was pictured training in Qatar a day prior to the game.
PSG have in fact brought a near full-strength squad with them for this match with the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also making the trip.
Messi notably played the full 90 minutes in PSG's most recent match which saw them beaten 1-0 away to Rennes in Ligue 1.
L E ⚫️#PSGQatarTour2023 I @ooredoo pic.twitter.com/B2hCacQrt7
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 18, 2023
Messi's PSG stats this season
Having finally lifted the World Cup with Argentina late last year, Messi's 2022/23 season with PSG has been just as impressive.
After a relatively quiet 2021/22 debut season in Paris, the Argentine has found an extra gear this campaign.
Messi has made 21 appearances for PSG so far this season, scoring 13 goals and contributing 14 assists.
The 35-year-old has only missed six games due to minor injuries and needing some time off after winning the World Cup.
MORE: Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo was never an argument — World Cup proves who's the GOAT
Messi vs Ronaldo history
Two of the best players in football history, Messi and Ronaldo have become no strangers to facing off on the pitch.
The duo often played each other in Spain while lining up for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
At club level, they faced off 34 times with Messi winning 15 of those matches, Ronaldo 10, with nine draws. Across those fixtures, Messi has scored 21 times with Ronaldo just behind him with 20 goals.
While playing for their countries, Messi and Ronaldo have only competed against each other twice with Argentina and Portugal each winning a game. Both players scored in their first international encounter in 2011 with Messi netting a 90th-minute winner in Argentina's 2-1 win.
Messi vs Ronaldo head-to-head stats
| Games | Messi wins | Ronaldo wins | Draws | Messi goals | Ronaldo goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 21 |
📺 #PSGQatarTour2023 #PSGRiyadhSeasonTeam will be broadcast live on our platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch), beIN Sports and #PSGTV
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 18, 2023
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⌚️ 6pm (CET)
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PSG vs Al Nassr/Al Hilal live stream, TV channel
In addition to beIN Sports carrying the match in many territories, the match will be streamed around the world on:
- PSG TV (€1.99)
- Facebook Watch ($1.99 US)
- PSG YouTube channel
- PSG Twitch channel
- OneFootball (fee)
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Fri, Jan. 20 | 04:00 AEDT | — | PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
| Canada | Thu, Jan. 19 | 12:00 ET | beIN Sports Canada | fuboTV Canada, beIN Connect, PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
| Hong Kong | Fri, Jan. 20 | 01:00 HKT | beIN Sports Hong Kong | beIN Connect, NOW, PSG YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitch |
| India | Thu, Jan. 19 | 22:30 IST | — | PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
| Malaysia | Fri, Jan. 20 | 01:00 MYT | beIN Sports Malaysia | beIN Connect, Sooka, PSG YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitch |
| New Zealand | Fri, Jan. 20 | 06:00 NZDT | Sky Sport 7 beIN Sports | beIN Connect, PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
| Singapore | Fri, Jan. 20 | 01:00 SGT | beIN Sports Singapore | beIN Connect, StarHub TV+, PSG YouTube, Facebook Watch, Twitch |
| UK | Thu, Jan. 19 | 17:00 GMT | — | PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
| USA | Thu, Jan. 19 | 12:00 ET | beIN Sports | fuboTV, beIN Connect, PSG YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Watch |
What's next for Messi and PSG?
Messi's involvement in PSG's upcoming friendly in Saudi Arabia could well be limited with the club in the middle of a season that they need to finish strongly.
Recent defeats in Ligue 1 have left them just three points clear in first with second-placed Lens losing just one league game so far this season.
MORE: All of PSG's upcoming fixtures and past results for the 2022/23 season
After their trip to the Middle East, PSG will return to action on Monday, January 23 against Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France — one title Messi has yet to win.
In less than a month, the Parisians will also resume their UEFA Champions League campaign with a Round of 16 tie against German giants Bayern Munich.
European success continues to elude PSG, and the club will be hoping Messi can steer them to the crown and cap off a remarkable individual season for the Argentine.
