- Nasima Akter
Bollywood Star Greets Messi and Ronaldo Before Match
Before the Saudi All-star XI and Paris Saint-Germain match on January 19, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo received a surprise. Bollywood Star Amitabh Bachchan stepped onto the field to greet them.
Bachchan had walked onto the field with some delegates from Saudi Arabia. He was shaking hands with players from both teams, including Messi and Ronaldo. Given that the actor's presence was not advertised, his presence surprised many fans.
Several Indian fans were happy with the surprise and shared multiple photos and videos on social media. Amitabh Bachchan also shared a video on Twitter where it shows him walking on the field and later, greeting the players.
The post read, "T 4533 - "An evening in Riyadh ... " what an evening Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mbape, Neymar all playing together... and yours truly invited a guest to inaugurate the game…PSG vs Riyadh Seasons. Incredible (sic)!!!"
Aside from this, Bachchan took a team photo with players of both teams before kick-off.
Amitabh Bachchan is known to be a football fan. At one point, he had publicly admitted that he is a supporter of English Premier League club Chelsea, which his son Abhishek is an avid follower of. Amitabh's son also owns the Indian Super League outfit Chennaiyin FC.
Regarded as one of the most successful and influential actors in the history of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan is a legendary star. In 2022 and at age 80, he released five films. In addition to being an actor, Bachchan is a film producer, television host, occasional playback singer, and former politician.
Not much has been reported on the actor, but workwise, Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in Uunchai. He will be seen next in Project K along with Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and The Intern with Deepika.
The match between Saudi All-star XI and Paris Saint-Germain was a highly anticipated match due to it featuring rivals Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It was a friendly match, and the first time Ronaldo had played any football in Saudi Arabia since signing a contract with Al Nassr. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is scheduled to make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr on Sunday.
In addition to playing in Saudi Arabia for the first time, Ronaldo was reunited with old teammate Sergio Ramos, who is starting at CB for PSG alongside skipper Marquinhos.
Messi and the PSG, meanwhile, are currently leading Ligue 1 but have faced a setback to their title hopes following the resumption of the league after the World cup as they have lost two games.
Matches between teams featuring Ronaldo and Messi have become rare since the former left Real Madrid in 2018. Before Ronaldo left, the two faced off as part of the El Clasico between Madrid and Barcelona, of whom Messi is the all-time highest goal, scorer.
Given that Messi penned a deal with PSG until 2025, it is unlikely that these two will play against each other again. Unless the Al-Hilal group can tempt Messi to Saudi Arabia, the friendly match is the last time the two are seen on the same field.
