Saudi Arabian businessman's $2.6m bid wins VIP ticket

Bidding started at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000), with the auction closing on Tuesday night. The proceeds are to go to the national charity campaign, “Ehsan”. The bidding for a VIP "Beyond Imagination" ticket to the match has already topped 10 million riyals ($2.66 million) in an auction that is set to end on Tuesday. A Saudi Arabian businessman is said to have bid $2.6 million to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi play in a friendly in Riyadh. Announcing the news on Twitter, al-sheik said a winning bid of 10 million riyals had come from a real-estate entrepreneur Mushref Al Ghamdi. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is set to make his first competitive appearance for Nassr on Sunday when the Saudi Pro League leaders host Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park in Riyadh. The former Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus forward, 37, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Nassr, said to be worth more than $200m per year. Al-Ghamdi, who won the ticket, has the right to attend the winner's coronation ceremony after the match and meet Ronaldo and Messi, in addition to taking memorial photos and entering the dressing rooms of the two teams.