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Cristiano Ronaldo made a heartfelt social media post following his two-goal outing against Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a friendly encounter in Riyadh.
The Riyadh All-Star XI vs PSG encounter on Thursday, January 19, finished 5-4 in favor of the French giants. Ronaldo managed to get on the scoresheet twice in what was his first on-field appearance since moving to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.
After the match, he posted four photos on his social media handles, one of which was with Messi, with the caption:
"So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!"
Here's his post:
How the latest iteration of Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi panned out
Lionel Messi opened the scoring at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, placing an expert finish from Neymar Jr.'s ball over the top. Cristiano Ronaldo soon equalized for the Saudi Arabian side, converting from the spot in the 34th minute.
Juan Bernat was then surprisingly sent off in the friendly match, leaving PSG with just 10 men for the majority of the contest.
However, that didn't stop the French giants from getting back into the match as Marquinhos restored their lead just before half-time. Ronaldo then hit back again seconds before half-time to ensure the two sides went into half-time on level terms.
Sergio Ramos gave the Parisians the lead again just eight minutes after the restart. The home side, though, equalized again, this time through Jang Hyun-soo, in the 56th minute.
Kylian Mbappe then netted from the spot and Hugo Ekitike scored shortly after to give PSG a two-goal cushion and put them on the path to victory. Anderson Talisca scored in injury time to salvage some pride for the Saudi Arabian side.
Lionel Messi and PSG will now return to France and prepare to face Pays de Cassel in the French Cup Round of 32 on Monday, January 23. They will then return to Ligue 1 action with a match against Stade de Reims on January 29.
The Parisians are currently atop the league standings after 19 matches. However, they have seen their lead cut short to just three points following two defeats since the restart of the season after the 2022 FIFA World Cup-induced break.
