ロナウド対メッシの親善試合、特別チケットが３億４０００万円で落札

【リヤドＡＦＰ＝時事】サッカー界のスーパースター、クリスティアーノ・ロナウドとリオネル・メッシが激突する親善試合の特別チケットを、サウジアラビアの不動産長者が２６０万ドル（約３億３５００万円）で落札した。関係者が１７日に発表した。（写真はロナウド）
　試合は１９日にサウジアラビアのリヤドで行われ、メッシを擁するフランス・リーグ１のパリ・サンジェルマンと、ロナウドが加入したサウジアラビア１部アル・ナスルとライバルクラブのアル・ヒラルによる選抜チームが対戦する。
　この試合の宣伝のため、王立裁判所の顧問で、娯楽庁のトップでもあるトルキ・シャイフ氏が、両チームの選手と一緒に記念撮影ができたり、控室に入れたりする特典のついた特別チケットのチャリティーオークション実施を発表していた。
　入札は１００万リヤル（約３４００万円）から始まり、不動産実業家のムシュレフ・ガムディ氏が１０００万リヤル（約３億４０００万円）で落札したことが発表された。オークションの収益は、国の慈善活動に使用される。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/01/18-13:52）

A Saudi real estate mogul won a ticket to see Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off in a friendly after bidding $2.6 million at auction, an official said Tuesday.
The match on Thursday in Riyadh is set to pit Messi's Paris Saint-Germain against a select side made up of players from Ronaldo's new club Al Nassr and their Saudi rivals Al Hilal.
It will mark the first time Ronaldo has played any football in the kingdom since signing a contract with Al Nassr that runs until 2025 and is worth more than 200 million euros ($214 million), according to sources close to the club.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is scheduled to make his Saudi Pro League debut for Al Nassr on Sunday.
To promote Thursday's friendly, Turki al-Sheikh, an advisor at the Royal Court and head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, announced a charity auction for a special ticket that would come with perks like photo opportunities with players and access to the locker rooms.
Bidding started at 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,000) and the auction closed at 11:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
Sheikh then announced on Twitter the winning bid of 10 million riyals ($2.6 million) had come from Mushref al-Ghamdi.
Congratulations, you deserve it, and may God reward you with good, Sheikh said.
The proceeds from the auction are due to go to the national charity campaign known as Ehsan.
Besides Messi, PSG stars expected to play on Thursday include France striker Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, who last year in Qatar helped make Morocco the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
The Saudi select team includes Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored the winning goal in the Green Falcons' shock defeat of Argentina in the World Cup's group stage.
Oil-rich monarchy Saudi Arabia, which has been snapping up sports assets as part of a drive to soften its austere image, is often accused of sportswashing, or using sport to distract attention from human rights controversies.
Ronaldo is expected to receive a combined 400 million euros in the kingdom, including a separate payment for his work as an ambassador for an anticipated World Cup bid for Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Greece, according to sources close to Al Nassr.