PSG fight off Ronaldo's Riyadh All-Star XI to win 9-goal thriller

The contest between Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo's Riyadh All-Star XI was billed as a friendly, but there was nothing cordial about Thursday's affair in Saudi Arabia.

In an entertaining encounter featuring nine goals, two yellow cards, and one straight red, 10-man Paris Saint-Germain emerged as the winners after beating the All-Star side 5-4 at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

Ronaldo's team was comprised of players from his new side, Al Nassr, and Riyadh's other noteworthy outfit, Al Hilal.

Messi opened the scoring three minutes into the game, and Ronaldo bagged a first-half brace to make it 2-2 before halftime.

The two sides traded goals after the break before Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty in the 60th minute. After the goal, the match lost some luster after stars like Mbappe, Messi, and Ronaldo were substituted from the game.

PSG youngster Hugo Ekitike registered what seemed to be a consolation goal at the time, but the 20-year-old forward's impressive strike ended up being the winner after Talisca scored Riyadh's fourth late in the game.

The contest was Ronaldo's first in Saudi Arabia since joining Al Nassr in December. The move transpired after Manchester United terminated the 37-year-old's contract.