This was the Fabergé egg of football friendlies. A simple, unremarkable thing transformed by ambition, dedication, an absence of taste and money, lots of money, into something transcendental. The full time score in Riyadh: entertainment 7 – geopolitics 6.
The top line was Ronaldo v Messi. Billed as potentially the last encounter between the two footballing giants, it was a chance to “appreciate their Goatness” as a host on PSG TV put it. The Argentina captain was at the heart of the French champions’ gilded forward line, alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The Portuguese,…
