Mushref Al-Ghamdi, a business tycoon from Saudi Arabia, paid $2.6 million to purchase a special ticket for PSG vs Riyadh 11 club friendly at the King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday.
The real estate mogul bought the VIP ticket at an auction ahead of the clash, which features two of the biggest football players – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Saudi businessman will also be allowed to watch the award ceremony and enter the locker rooms.
“Congratulations. The highest bid in the charity ticket auction “Above Imagination” presented by real estate businessman Musharraf Al-Ghamdi @mushref999 General Manager of Aqar1. The entire proceeds of the ticket went to Ihsan @EhsanSA,” Chairman of the Riyadh Season Turki Al-Sheikh said on Twitter.
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In response, Mushref Al-Ghamdi said, “Everything that we enjoy in this country of giving is nothing but the fruit of the generous giving of my Lord, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness, his trustworthy Crown Prince. On this occasion, I thank His Excellency Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh, and I bear witness to God that I share all the Saudi people in its reward.”
Between 2009 and 2018, while they represented Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, and during which time they established themselves as the two best players in the world, before the former transferred to Italy, Ronaldo and Messi were the star players in countless El Clasicos.
The fact that this might be their final meeting makes the game the most sought-after ticket in town.
The possibility still exists that Messi may soon be moving to Saudi Arabia to join Ronaldo, as the Argentine’s agent-dad Jorge is reportedly in Riyadh to discuss the prospect of Messi joining Al-Hilal.
Messi’s contract at PSG expires in the summer, and the offer of a move to Al-Hilal, one of Al-major Nassr’s rivals, for £245 million a year may convince him to do so.
