Ronaldo, Messi to Play in Riyadh: Bid for 'Beyond Imagination' Ticket to PSG Hits 9.3 Million Riyals

Turki Al Sheikh, Chairman of General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced the auction, and also some of the perks that come with the 'Beyond Imagination' ticket

The bidding for a special ticket to the much-anticipated Riyadh Season Cup game between PSG and a team consisting of players from Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr and Al Hilal started at a whopping 2 million Saudi riyals (around Dh2 million).

Turki Al Sheikh, Chairman of General Entertainment Authority (GEA), announced the auction, and also some of the perks that come with the 'Beyond Imagination' ticket - such as entry to both locker rooms, chance to meet Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé, and entry to the opening ceremony.

The bidding started at 250,000 euros (around Dh985,000). In less than three hours, the auction registered 1.5 million requests. Al Sheikh said that as of Monday night, the bidding had reached 700,000 euros (around Dh2.7 million).

On Wednesday, he revealed the highest bid in play, which was received from Mohamed Al Munajim, Founder and CEO of Saudi tech company Azom. The bid was 9.3 million Saudi riyals (around Dh9 million), plus a donation of Azom devices to orphans and people who participated in receiving the PSG members.

He said that the other match tickets sold out very quickly.

“If we had not stopped the system, the demand would have exceeded this number — every second it increases by 10,000 and 15,000 ticket requests," he said according to Arab News.

The friendly, set to take place on January 19, could see football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi pitted against each other.

The 'Beyond Imagination' ticket allows its holder to:

1. Attend the opening ceremony and sit next to Turki Al Sheikh, Chairman of General Entertainment Authority (GEA)

2. Meet Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé

3. Attend the Gala lunch

4. Gain entrance to both locker rooms

5. Participate in the crowning ceremony and take part in the group photo with the winning team

Turki Al Sheikh added that he is optimistic about the Saudi team's chance.

This would be another opportunity for a team from the Kingdom to make their mark in a game against a football superpower, after Saudi Arabia's shock win against Argentina in the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The world was stunned by the victory, pulled off by a team 48 places below Argentina in world ranking. Arab nations rejoiced as the Kingdom declared the next day a national holiday.

Source:- Khaleej Times