Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will go head to head in an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, January 19 and the game will be exclusively streamed on beIN Sports.
UPDATE: Ronaldo v Messi match in Saudi Arabia a 9-goal thriller – see full match report
beIN Media Group has announced that its flagship channel, beIN Sports, has acquired the rights across all its territories (Middle East and North Africa, France, Turkey, Asia, North America, and Australasia) to broadcast the highly-anticipated Riyadh Season Cup.
The match will be played in Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday, January 19.
The match will feature star studded players from both teams on the field tonight including Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Ronaldo.
Date and location
- January 19 at the King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh.
Kick-off
- 9 PM Dubai time (8 PM Saudi time)
Streaming channels
- beIN Sports (exclusive streaming rights across Middle East and North Africa, France, Turkey, Asia, North America, and Australasia).
beIN sports subscriptions and cost
- Together subscription – AED48 per month
- Kick-off subscription – AED73 per month
- Premium subscription – AED110 per month
- Ultimate subscription – AED202 per month
Each subscription comes with access to different channels. beIN also has a pay-per-view and video-on-demand options.
In MENA, live studio coverage before the match kicks-off on the beIN Sports free-to-air channel and beIN Sports 2 in Arabic at 7 PM local time, while English coverage starts at 7.30 PM local time on beIN Sports English, leading right up to the opening whistle at 8 PM local time.
Ronaldo and Messi have not clashed since December 2020 when Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0. The match has gained much international attention with supporters of both icons gearing up to witness the historic moment that the two players face-off.
Ronaldo has not played an official match for his new Saudi team Al Nassr yet, this will be his inaugural match since his joining earlier this month.
A Saudi businessman has paid $2.6 million (SR10,000,000) for a VIP ticket for the Riyadh Cup match between the two football icon-led teams.
It was thought to be the most expensive football match ticket ever bought and was part of a fundraising venture launched by Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.
Full VIP Ronaldo v Messi matchday ticket benefits include:
- Opportunity to meet Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé
- Attending the opening ceremony
- VIP match seats alongside Turki Al-Sheikh
- Gala lunch
- Exclusive entrance to both teams matchday changing rooms
- Trophy award access
- Team photo with winning side
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