On Thursday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will play for Al Nassr in his Saudi Pro League debut.

A Saudi real estate tycoon who bid $2.6 million (QAR 10m) at an auction has won a ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi square off in a friendly, according to an official.

A star-studded Saudi Arabian league team from Al Nasr and Al Hilal will compete against Qatar-owned PSG, which boasts Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and other international players.

Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored the game-winning goal in the Green Falcons’ shocking World Cup victory over Argentina, will debut in the team along with the Portugues superstar.

This will be Ronaldo’s first appearance since his deal to play with Al Nasser, which runs until 2025 and is worth more than $214 million, according to sources close to the club. On Thursday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will play for Al Nassr in his Saudi Pro League debut.

The ticket, which was purchased as part of a fundraising initiative started by Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, is thought to be the most expensive football match ticket ever purchased.

Al-Sheikh began the auction at $268,000 (almost QAR 1m) and kept fans updated all week through his Twitter account. It was then closed at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

The Golden Ticket

The Ehsan charity fund in Saudi Arabia will receive the proceeds from the sale of the VIP tickets.

With a bid from real estate entrepreneur Musharraf bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, General Manager of the Aqar One group of companies, the bidding reached $2.6 million (SR10,000,000) on Saturday, and it has not since been surpassed.

What are the benefits?

The whopping $2.6m ticket includes several benefits other than a seat in the stadium.

The real estate business is now in possession of a very special match ticket that gives him access to the stadium as well as the chance to meet the players, visit the locker rooms, and even take part in the picture of the winning team.

Full VIP matchday benefits for Ronaldo vs. Messi include an opportunity to meet the players, including Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, and Mbappé, attend the opening ceremony, VIP match seats alongside Turki Al Sheikh, access to the gala lunch, exclusive entrance to both teams’ match day changing rooms, trophy award access, team photo with winning side.

The eagerly anticipated Riyadh Season Cup will be broadcast on all of beIN Media Group channels. The game will kick off at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia on January 19.