Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could play against each other in January - Details Inside

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play on two separate continents in 2023 for the first time since making their professional debuts at Barcelona and Sporting CP at the turn of the millennium. While Messi agreed to a one-year extension with PSG, Ronaldo signed  a two-and-a-half-year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

According to reports, Paris Saint-Germain will play a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia in January. PSG's opponents will most likely be a combined eleven of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal players. On Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

After signing a deal until June 2025, Al Nassr tweeted a picture on social media of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner holding up the team's jersey, with the club welcoming the move as "history in the making."

“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the club wrote.

History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2022

Ronaldo was a free agent when Manchester United cancelled his contract following an explosive TV interview in which he criticised manager Erik ten Hag and the club's owners after being benched and even temporarily suspended by the club. He is also coming off a terrible World Cup in which he was benched in the knockout rounds and left the field in tears after Portugal lost to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Messi, on the other hand, has led Argentina to their third World Cup victory. Lionel Messi made his strongest case yet to be considered football's greatest player of all time after finally winning the World Cup.

When it comes to identify the greatest of all time, or the GOAT, as it is now known, competition is tough. It might be the slightest of margins that separate such brilliant performers.

READ| Ronaldo's Al-Nassr payout to dwarf Messi's PSG salary, may earn over Rs 2,000 crore per year