Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo gets punched in face, scores with bruised cheekbone

In a friendly match against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in Riyadh, CR7 began up front for a Saudi All-Star XI while longtime rival Lionel Messi lined up for the Ligue 1 powerhouses. Al-Nassr was awarded a penalty as a result of the reckless challenge, which Cristiano Ronaldo buried into the top right corner. However, CR7 also enjoyed showing French world cup star Kylian Mbappe the lump on his face before the two cracked jokes in the centre circle.

Mbappe gave him a smile that appeared to indicate, “You’ll be fine,” and Ronaldo triumphantly lifted his arm like a heavyweight champion.

Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo surpasses Lionel Messi, becomes first player to…

Messi scored the game’s first goal barely three minutes in, but when the Saudi team pushed for an equaliser, they turned to Ronaldo’s renowned heading skills. He, however, did not anticipate his old Real Madrid teammate Keylor Navas to hit him while trying to punch the ball clear. The Saudi team was awarded a penalty.

Ronaldo stumbled to the ground, thankfully escaping serious injury. He grimaced in discomfort from his bruised cheekbone but composed himself before converting the spot-kick for his first goal in Saudi Arabia against Messi’s PSG.

Ronaldo scored his second goal at the end of the first half, blasting in a rebound after his header had rebounded against the post, and by then his cheekbone looked like a red apple. Ronaldo wheeled away in joy, sticking his tongue out, and was surrounded by teammates near the corner flag.

Also Read: How to watch Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr: Live-streaming details, time, schedule

At King Fahd International Stadium in front of 68,000 spectators, Lionel Messi’s PSG defeated Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi squad 5-4. It was probably the last time fans saw the Ronaldo vs Messi rivalry, one of the most famous ones in football history.