Cristiano Ronaldo set for Saudi Arabia debut as Riyadh All-Star XI captain against PSG

Cristiano Ronaldo will this week play his first match in Saudi Arabia, but not for Al Nassr.

A Riyadh All-Star XI will on Thursday face off against Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly game, and Ronaldo has been named as captain.

It is Ronaldo’s first match since joining Al Nassr officially on January 1, and he will lead out a team made up of players from Saudi sides Al Hilal and Al Nassr.

Other familiar names in the squad include Saudi Arabia internationals Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored in the shock group-stage win over Argentina in last year's World Cup, and Saud Abdulhamid.

It remains unclear if Messi, Ronaldo’s long-time rival, will be in the squad.

Ronaldo missed the first two domestic games for Al Nassr after his English football ban for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand in April translated abroad, and will make his first competitive appearance in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq.

Additional reporting by Reuters.