After being selected captain of the Riyadh ST XI for an exhibition game against Lionel Messi's Paris St. Germain, officials revealed on Monday that Cristiano Ronaldo would play in Saudi Arabia for the first time since joining Al Nassr.

In the most recent installment of the storied international soccer rivalry, the 37-year-old Portuguese will captain a group of players from the Saudi clubs Al Hilal and Al Nassr against Messi's PSG.

Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored in the shocking World Cup group-stage victory over Argentina, and Saud Abdulhamid are both included in the starting lineup for Saudi Arabia.

The eagerly awaited match, for which more than two million online tickets were reportedly requested, will occur on Thursday in Riyadh.

An auction that is scheduled to expire on Tuesday has already attracted bids of more than 10 million riyals ($2.66 million) for a VIP "Beyond Imagination" ticket to the game.

After receiving a one-match ban from the English Football Association for kicking a fan's phone out of his hand in April, Ronaldo missed Al Nassr's opening two domestic matches.

The Portuguese forward joined the Arab squad earlier this month with a contract that will last until 2025 and is worth, according to the media, more than €200 million.

When Al Nassr plays Al Ettifaq on Sunday, Ronaldo will make his professional debut in the Saudi Pro League.