Saudi businessman bids $2.6m for Ronaldo-Messi ticket / Photo: © AFP/File
RYCEF
0.4000
The China Mail - Saudi businessman bids $2.6m for Ronaldo-Messi ticket
USD
-
AED 3.672504
AFN 64.519621
ALL 80.779721
AMD 360.802
ANG 1.789785
AOA 916.999858
ARS 1527.447505
AUD 1.425598
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.690302
BAM 1.74323
BBD 2.01312
BDT 123.616236
BGN 1.747831
BHD 0.377167
BIF 2998.021285
BMD 1
BND 1.276806
BOB 11.749291
BRL 5.052296
BSD 0.999519
BTN 94.708742
BWP 13.730681
BYN 2.955595
BYR 19600
BZD 2.010179
CAD 1.400655
CDF 2316.000261
CHF 0.821095
CLF 0.025048
CLP 985.809824
CNY 6.67805
CNH 6.672325
COP 3188.49
CRC 456.129406
CUC 1
CUP 23.987914
CVE 98.274087
CZK 21.653012
DJF 177.986345
DKK 6.665325
DOP 61.334165
DZD 134.788985
EGP 55.2951
ERN 15
ETB 163.715083
EUR 0.891702
FJD 2.237201
FKP 0.74735
GBP 0.746545
GEL 2.590023
GGP 0.74735
GHS 11.584398
GIP 0.74735
GMD 74.000624
GNF 8846.284115
GTQ 7.638521
GYD 209.075352
HKD 7.841635
HNL 26.831203
HRK 6.719199
HTG 130.960074
HUF 326.5645
IDR 18057.35
ILS 3.113399
IMP 0.74735
INR 94.8107
IQD 1515.232544
IRR 1832375.000205
ISK 121.460267
JEP 0.74735
JMD 158.6805
JOD 0.708968
JPY 156.897976
KES 129.85986
KGS 87.449098
KHR 4066.044252
KMF 439.504688
KPW 899.999961
KRW 1324.740232
KWD 0.31038
KYD 0.832932
KZT 447.742304
LAK 22497.63802
LBP 89505.945059
LKR 331.782448
LRD 170.418336
LSL 16.484928
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 6.403194
MAD 9.810507
MDL 17.951049
MGA 4532.327932
MKD 54.922959
MMK 2100.348965
MNT 3600.056668
MOP 8.072357
MRU 39.940639
MUR 47.009898
MVR 15.460163
MWK 1733.158636
MXN 18.726902
MYR 4.083902
MZN 63.897352
NAD 16.484928
NGN 1330.949933
NIO 36.784498
NOK 9.32547
NPR 151.519986
NZD 1.75606
OMR 0.384443
PAB 0.999519
PEN 3.433784
PGK 4.476175
PHP 63.412989
PKR 276.638679
PLN 3.9038
PYG 5731.144268
QAR 3.653477
RON 4.768403
RSD 104.793024
RUB 81.89821
RWF 1477.262599
SAR 3.754204
SBD 8.07458
SCR 14.043992
SDG 601.500097
SEK 9.911495
SGD 1.27734
SHP 0.7473
SLE 22.950301
SLL 20969.504398
SOS 571.242669
SRD 37.649498
STD 20697.981008
STN 21.837175
SVC 8.745566
SYP 13001.999685
SZL 16.483056
THB 33.720965
TJS 9.190427
TMT 3.51
TND 2.978845
TOP 2.40776
TRY 49.732102
TTD 6.782894
TWD 32.604971
TZS 2645.000289
UAH 45.040287
UGX 4282.760219
UYU 40.073087
UZS 11901.705974
VES 879.788899
VND 25841
VUV 118.928057
WST 2.764707
XAF 584.917937
XAG 0.018535
XAU 0.000249024447
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.801344
XDR 0.707052
XOF 584.917937
XPF 106.29802
YER 236.095602
ZAR 16.51085
ZMK 9001.201353
ZMW 20.065244
ZWL 321.999592
SSP 5745.817056
MXV 2.1137
- Ukraine says two soldiers died after arrested girl sent Russian poison
- Volvo Cars shares plunge on losses, job cuts
- New Greece law bans social media for under-15s
- France braces for new protests as Macron seeks to restore order
- Netanyahu orders West Bank closure as attack wounds Israelis before election
- Kering shares tumble as Gucci fails to reassure investors
- Asian stocks mixed ahead of weekend as tech recovers early losses
- West Bank attack wounds 5 as Israel PM cancels events
- How five Boeing 777s linked Madagascar's power elite to Iran
- Ahead of APEC summit, Trump comes knocking on Kim's door
Saudi businessman bids $2.6m for Ronaldo-Messi ticket
A Saudi real estate mogul won a ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off in a friendly after bidding $2.6 million at auction, an official said Tuesday.
The match on Thursday in Riyadh is set to pit Messi's Paris Saint-Germain against a select side made up of players from Ronaldo's new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal.
It will mark the first time Ronaldo has played any football in the kingdom since signing a contract with Al Nassr that runs until 2025 and is worth more than 200 million euros ($214 million), according to sources close to the club.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is scheduled to make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr on Sunday.
To promote Thursday's friendly, Turki al-Sheikh, an advisor at the Royal Court and head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, announced a charity auction for a special ticket that would come with perks like photo opportunities with players and access to the locker rooms.
Bidding started at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000) and the auction closed at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Sheikh then announced on Twitter the winning bid of 10 million riyals ($2.6 million) had come from Mushref al-Ghamdi.
"Congratulations, you deserve it, and may God reward you with good," Sheikh said.
The proceeds from the auction are due to go to the national charity campaign known as Ehsan.
Besides Messi, PSG stars expected to play on Thursday include France striker Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who last year in Qatar helped make Morocco the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
The Saudi select team includes Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored the winning goal in the Green Falcons' shock defeat of Argentina in the World Cup's group stage.
Oil-rich monarchy Saudi Arabia, which has been snapping up sports assets as part of a drive to soften its austere image, is often accused of "sportswashing", or using sport to distract attention from human rights controversies.
Ronaldo is expected to receive a combined 400 million euros in the kingdom, including a separate payment for his work as an ambassador for an anticipated World Cup bid for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece, according to sources close to Al Nassr.
Y.Parker--ThChM
