Messi and Ronaldo greeting Amitabh Bachchan ahead of match sends Twitter into a meltdown

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi clashed one more time in Riyadh on Thursday as Riyadh All-Star XI took on PSG in an exhibition match at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The blockbuster match made every football fan become glued to their television screens as Ronaldo vs Messi clash was maybe taking place one last time. However, it was the presence of Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchan which got all the attention from Indian fans. 

Amitabh Bacchan attends Ronaldo vs Messi match

Football fans in India were surprised to see the Indian film legend as chief guest for one of the most popular matches of the year. Bachchan greeted both Ronaldo and Messi ahead of the match as he shook hands with every member of both teams. He even got into a conversation with both Messi and Ronaldo. Here's how the Twitterati reacted to the news:-

Ronaldo vs Messi in Riyadh

Grimacing in pain from his bruised cheekbone, Cristiano Ronaldo steadied himself before scoring from the penalty spot for his first goal in Saudi Arabia against a Paris Saint-Germain team featuring old foe Lionel Messi.

Messi had already scored early in Thursday’s exhibition game when Ronaldo was flattened boxing-match style by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas after about 30 minutes in Riyadh, the city which gained sporting prominence for hosting a world heavyweight championship boxing bout in 2019.

It wasn’t Anthony Joshua but Navas who caught Ronaldo flush in the face with his forearm under a high ball.

Both went down like felled boxers.

Ronaldo held his head, got back up, did a wide yawn as if to test his sore left cheek, and sent his former Real Madrid teammate Navas the wrong way.

By the end of the first half Ronaldo’s cheekbone was bright apple red but he was all smiles after netting his second goal, smashing in a rebound when his header came back off the post. Poking his tongue out, Ronaldo wheeled away in delight and was mobbed by teammates at the corner flag.

The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry has been among the greatest ever. Between them they have 12 Ballon d’Or awards — Messi a record seven, Ronaldo five — and have won a combined 56 major trophies. Ronaldo won the Champions League five times, compared to Messi’s four. Messi is the all-time “El Clasico” top scorer with 26 goals for Barca, eight more than Ronaldo for Madrid.

(with AP inputs)