This was the Fabergé egg of football friendlies. A simple, unremarkable thing transformed by ambition, dedication, an absence of taste, and money, lots of money, into something transcendental. The full time score in Riyadh: entertainment 7 – geopolitics 6.
The top line was Ronaldo v Messi. Billed as potentially the last encounter between the two footballing giants, it was a chance to “appreciate their Goatness” as a host on PSG TV put it. The Argentina captain was at the heart of the French champions’ gilded forward line, alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The Portuguese, meanwhile, captained an amalgamated team from the Saudi league, from players taken from the champions, Al-Hilal, and his new club, Al-Nassr, billed as the Riyadh Season Team.
