According to a report from L’Équipe, a Saudi real-estate tycoon has bought a VIP ticket to the friendly match between PSG and Riyadh ST XI on Thursday for €2.4m. The ticket was put up for auction to promote the match by Turki al-Sheikh, adviser to the Royal Court and Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh ST XI, a team composed of stars from Saudi sides Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, will name Al-Nassr’s new frontman Cristiano Ronaldo as its captain. It is widely believed that the game will be one of the last fixtures to feature a clash between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both of whom have played against each other on countless occasions in El Clásico fixtures, as well as in the 2009 Champions League Final when the Portuguese star played at Manchester United.

Mushref al-Ghamdi, a wealthy business magnate in Saudi Arabia, entered – and won – the auction, which will see him pay more than €2m for a VIP ticket to the game. Bidding began at 1m SAR (Saudi Riyals), equivalent to €245,000.

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