Saudi businessman pays £2.2m to see Cristiano Ronaldo play Lionel Messi as he buys football’s most expensive ticket ever

A SAUDI ARABAN businessman has paid £2.1million for a VIP ticket to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play Lionel Messi’s PSG in Riyadh.

Ronaldo is set to captain a Saudi All-Star XI team against PSG in their friendly match on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr from Manchester UnitedRex

AFPLionel Messi is set to play against Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia[/caption]

It will mark his first appearance in the Middle East since signing for Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United.

A VIP ticket was up for grabs with the starting bid at £220,000.

And it was eventually won by real estate businessman Musharraf bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi with an offer of £2.2m.

It is thought to be football’s most expensive ticket ever and will gain him a meeting with Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe.

The VIP ticket is part of a fundraising venture launched by Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.

And the proceeds will be donated to Saudi Arabia’s Ehsan charity fund.

beIN Sports have acquired the rights across all its territories, in the Middle East and North Africa, France, Turkey, Asia, North America, and Australasia to broadcast the game.

PSG are currently touring the Middle East and are believed to be earning £8.7m for their activities.

They play Saudi All-Star XI before flying back to Paris the next day on Friday.

Ronaldo will captain the side in what could potentially be his final match against long-time on-field rival Messi.

It will see a mixture of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr players against the French champions.

EPACristiano Ronaldo is set to make his debut in Saudi Arabia[/caption]