Duel of Titans: Messi vs Ronaldo tickets hit $11,000 for Riyadh Season Cup showdown

Inter Miami faces off against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia’s capital in Riyadh Season Cup . Credit: social media
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Updated 31 January 2024
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Duel of Titans: Messi vs Ronaldo tickets hit $11,000 for Riyadh Season Cup showdown

  • Despite the premium price tag, fans can still catch the Messi vs Ronaldo spectacle for as little as $200

Riyadh: Football aficionados can look forward to an epic showdown as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo clash once more, this time in the Riyadh Season Cup as Inter Miami faces off against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia’s capital on Thursday.

Dubbed “The Last Dance,” tickets for the highly anticipated match went on sale last week, with Platinum seating reaching a staggering $11,214, according to the tickets website seatpick.com.

Despite the premium price tag, fans can still catch the Messi vs Ronaldo spectacle for as little as $200.

It is no surprise that football matches featuring icons such as Messi and Ronaldo command hefty ticket prices.

In a similar vein, last year, a Saudi businessman clinched a SR10 million ($2.6 million) bid to witness Ronaldo and Messi square off in a friendly match between Paris Saint-Germain and stars of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.

Messi and his Inter Miami squad touched down in Saudi Arabia on Friday, receiving a warm reception at King Khalid International Airport. The US team lost their first match in the season against Al-Hilal 4-3.


Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism

Updated 11 July 2025
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Wenger defends Club World Cup amid Klopp criticism

  • Wenger: Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share Jurgen Klopp’s view at all. I feel that a Club World Cup, a REAL Club World Cup was needed
  • Wenger also pointed to the unexpectedly high attendance figures as evidence of the competition’s success

NEW YORK: Arsene Wenger has dismissed Jurgen Klopp’s criticism of FIFA’s revamped 32-team Club World Cup, calling the tournament a “fantastic competition” and emphasizing the support it has received from participating teams, players, and managers.

Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, described the expanded summer competition as “the worst idea ever invented” in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt two weeks ago. Wenger, now FIFA’s chief of Global Football Development, countered these remarks on Thursday during a FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) briefing in New York.

“Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I don’t share Jurgen Klopp’s view at all,” Wenger told reporters. “I feel that a Club World Cup, a REAL Club World Cup was needed. If you make an inquiry today with all the clubs who were here at this competition, I’m basically sure that we have 100 percent of answers of people who want to do this again. So that’s basically the best answer.”

Wenger also pointed to the unexpectedly high attendance figures as evidence of the competition’s success. “The decisive question is, do the fans like it? Attendance projections were low, but in reality, they were much higher. The answer is there,” he added.

The tournament has provided FIFA with a testing ground ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across North America. Wenger acknowledged that the summer heat in the US posed challenges but said FIFA has learned valuable lessons to address these issues.

“The heat in some games was a problem,” Wenger admitted. “We tried to combat that with cooling breaks and watering the pitches during breaks. We learned a lot on that front.”

He singled out Orlando as one of the venues where pitch conditions proved difficult, though he praised the quality of natural grass pitches overall. Philadelphia’s surface, he said, would serve as a benchmark for future competitions in the US.

Looking ahead, Wenger said FIFA is considering using covered stadiums in cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Houston to host early matches in next year’s tournaments. He also revealed that FIFA analysts have studied the impact of heat on player performance, finding that temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) affect high-speed running and sprints more than overall distances covered.

“Certainly next year, there will be more roofed stadiums as we have to follow the TV schedule. We are learning to be better equipped to deal with these conditions,” Wenger said.

The inaugural 32-team Club World Cup concludes on Sunday, with Paris St. Germain taking on Chelsea in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.


Messi brace sets up Miami’s 2-1 MLS victory over New England

Updated 10 July 2025
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Messi brace sets up Miami’s 2-1 MLS victory over New England

  • The 38-year-old Argentine star has scored two goals in each of his last four MLS games to become the first MLS player to score multiple goals in four straight games
  • With the victory Miami climbed from sixth to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts: Lionel Messi scored twice in the first half of Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Wednesday, continuing a run of form unprecedented in Major League Soccer.

The 38-year-old Argentine star has scored two goals in each of his last four MLS games to become the first MLS player to score multiple goals in four straight games.

He launched the streak in late May with two goals in a 4-2 win over Montreal then had two in a 5-1 victory over Columbus.

Miami then paused their MLS campaign to compete in the Club World Cup — where Messi scored one goal in four matches and Miami were eliminated in the round of 16 by Paris Saint-Germain.

Javier Mascherano’s team returned to MLS action on Saturday with a 4-1 victory at Montreal — also fueled by a brace from eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.

In all Messi has 14 goals in 15 MLS games, putting him two behind leading scorer Sam Surridge, who has appeared in six more games for Nashville than Messi has played this season.

Messi put Miami up 1-0 in the 27th minute at Gillette Stadium, taking advantage of a Revolution miscue and firing a left-footed shot from the heart of the area.

The Argentinian star doubled the score 11 minutes later, charging onto a long through ball from Sergio Busquets and curling a left-footed shot beyond the reach of Slovenian goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic.

Veteran goalkeeper Oscar Ustari also starred for Miami, coming up with six saves before Spaniard Carles Gil managed to put one by him, picking off Tadeo Allende in the 79th minute and rifling in a shot from outside the box.

With the victory Miami climbed from sixth to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. On 35 points, they are seven points behind leaders FC Cincinnati but with three fewer matches played after their Club World Cup break.


Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

Updated 10 July 2025
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Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

  • After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the center of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.


PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

Updated 10 July 2025
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PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

  • Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.
The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.
After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking.
PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago.
The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
But PSG have improved without Mbappe and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable — it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea.
Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.
Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.
The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.
But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.
Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real ‘keeper saved at the forward’s feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.
Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later.
Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.
PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.


Sweden reach Euro 2025 knockouts with 3-0 win over Poland

Updated 09 July 2025
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Sweden reach Euro 2025 knockouts with 3-0 win over Poland

  • The win also guaranteed Germany’s berth in the last eight after they beat Denmark
  • Germany and Sweden occupy the top two spots in Group C on six points and meet in Zurich on Saturday to decide who will win the group

LUCERNE: Sweden captain Kosovare Asllani scored one goal and made another as her side cruised into the knockout stages of the women’s European Championship with a 3-0 win over Poland on Tuesday that eliminated the Poles.

The win also guaranteed Germany’s berth in the last eight after they beat Denmark earlier on Tuesday, with the Danes joining Poland in exiting the competition after both lost their opening two matches.

Germany and Sweden occupy the top two spots in Group C on six points and meet in Zurich on Saturday to decide who will win the group after Sweden’s aerial bombardment from the wings proved too much for the Polish defense.

Asllani and Madelen Janogy both hit the woodwork with early headers before striker Stina Blackstenius nodded home a cross from her captain in the 28th minute to break the deadlock.

The Swedes were well aware of the threat posed by Poland captain Ewa Pajor and kept her well-shackled for much of the game.

On the few occasions she did get the ball, the Polish fans rose to their feet in anticipation, but the Sweden defense was quick to snuff out any danger.

Playing in her 201st senior international, Asllani made no mistake in the 52nd minute as she ghosted through the middle before burying Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s cross past Kinga Szemik.

Blackstenius wasted a number of good chances to add to her tally as Sweden’s aerial attack continued, and substitute Lina Hurtig added their third goal with yet another header, this time from a corner, to round out the scoring in the 77th minute.

The closest the Poles came to scoring was in stoppage time when Ewelina Kamczyk fired a long-distance shot that smacked off the far post, but the Swedes were never threatened as they secured their spot in the quarter-finals.

“Great to win by 3-0, Poland are a tough opponent. We were determined and aggressive and it feels like it was exciting. Great to score goals,” Asllani said before sending a warning to Sweden’s German rivals ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

“We just wanted to win and score as many goals as possible. We want to win against Germany, we don’t want a draw. It’s been a dream start, but we’re focusing on the next one now,” she said.