Cristiano Ronaldo: Al-Nassr star's cheeky skill vs Lionel Messi's PSG emerges

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·22 January 2023

Cristiano Ronaldo: Al-Nassr star's cheeky skill vs Lionel Messi's PSG emerges

Cristiano Ronaldo is all set to make his Al-Nassr debut.

As confirmed by the club on Saturday night, the stage is now set for Ronaldo to pull on the yellow and blue jersey for the first time in the Saudi Pro League clash with Ettifaq FC.

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It seems like it’s been some time now since Ronaldo put pen to paper on the most lucrative deal in football history, but fans have been made to stay patient to see their man take to the field as a result of his two-match worldwide ban for smashing an Everton fan’s phone.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has therefore been anxiously awaiting the arrival of January 22 having watched the win over Al-Tai FC and draw with Al-Shabab FC from a distance.

Why did Ronaldo and Messi play each other?

Nevertheless, fans were still given a taste of what’s to come from Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia courtesy of an unexpected meeting with Lionel Messi in mid-week.

You’d have been forgiven for thinking that Ronaldo would never play against his eternal rival again having made his move to Al-Nassr, but a magical twist of fate ensured that wasn’t to be the case.

A previous agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for an exhibition match against a combined XI of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal players delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic paved the way for a fairy-tale Ronaldo vs Messi meeting.

The ultimate Cristiano Ronaldo quiz

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Where was Cristiano Ronaldo born?

Lisbon Porto Madeira Braga

How did Ronaldo play vs PSG and Messi?

And boy did it deliver with PSG edging proceedings at the King Fahd International Stadium in a thrilling 5-4 victory that saw both Messi and Ronaldo find the back of the net.

In the end, it was Ronaldo who came out on top as he bagged an impressive brace and the Man of the Match award, crowning what could well be the final meeting between himself and Messi in style.

But perhaps more important than that was the feeling that Ronaldo was enjoying his football once more, putting on an entertaining display to the delight of the fans in attendance.

From not shying away from dribbling to the filthiest of nutmegs, Ronaldo looked as though he was playing football in the same joyful and care-free manner that he did during his first spell at Manchester United.

What cheeky skill Ronaldo pull off vs PSG?

And one of the fantastic ways that manifested itself was a cheeky shoulder pass which has only just come to our attention in the aftermath of the nine-goal thriller.

In fact, a lot of football fans generally are just noticing the lovely bit of skill with one video posted as recently as Saturday amassing more than 800 retweets and 8,000 ‘likes’ at the time of writing.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, be sure to find out for yourself as you get a flavour of what’s to come ahead of Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr debut by checking out his nonchalant shoulder pass against none other Messi’s PSG.

Video: Ronaldo’s nonchalant shoulder pass vs Messi’s PSG

He’s loving it, isn’t he?

Simply everything points towards Ronaldo loving his football again as he walks around in Saudi Arabia with a massive smile on his face, and that theme of enjoyment was clear for everyone to see against the Parisians.

When you’re happy off the pitch, you tend to be happy on it too and that gave Ronaldo a sense of freedom that could almost certainly be evidenced in some of his flashier moments in the game.

It’s one thing to revel in the efficiency and statistics of Ronaldo, but you’ll pick your jaw up off the floor far more often if it’s the dazzling, entertaining and box-office version of the Portuguese superstar that’s on the screen.