Santosh Trophy final to take place in same stadium where Messi vs Ronaldo match took place

Karnataka and Meghalaya will be a part of history when they set foot on the ground at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in the Santosh Trophy Final. This is the first time the Indian national football championship is being held on foreign soil in such a grand manner. This is the very stadium that witnessed two of the stalwarts Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo a few weeks earlier as the two were vying with each other in a friendly match.

Santosh Trophy Final is to be held at the same venue where Messi and Ronaldo played

Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr this year and the 38-year-old has been on a scoring spree for his club. Messi lifted the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year and has replicated his form for Partis Saint Germain this campaign. Despite Ronaldo's brace, Messi had the last laugh as his side edged past Al-Nassr 5-4.

AIFF's new visionary roadmap has seen massive steps taken for the betterment of Indian Football and the arrangement of the Santosh Trophy in Saudi Arabia is the brainchild of the new set of officials headed by president Kalyan Chaubey. Teams from Indian Super League and I-League usually don't like the idea of their players getting called by their states as it heightens the chances of injuries.

Meghalaya head coach Khlain Syiemlieh heaped praises on his side before this gala clash. 

“Right from the group stages, our team has been making comebacks constantly. We were down 1-2 against Odisha in the group stage and if we lost we would not even have qualified. Then we were losing to West Bengal, and then to Punjab. So one way to look at it is that the boys have a lot of heart and know how to battle adversity.

“We know that Karnataka are good on the ball and have a lot of talented players who are playing in clubs and in ISL reserve sides. But we are undaunted. The boys know the gameplan and will stick to it."

He also acknowledged the efforts from the fans.

“Our phones have been flooded with congratulatory messages. Even on social media, there has been an outpouring of love from fans in Shillong.

Everyone is excited. It gives us a lot of heart that they are supporting us from afar. It's a moment of pride for us, and we want to take this trophy back to Shillong.”