A soccer fan opened up his wallet in a big way to nab a trip to the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi exhibition on Thursday ... dropping a staggering $2.6 MILLION to score a VIP ticket to the game!!
Saudi officials had put the once-in-a-lifetime pass to the event up for an auction earlier this month in order to promote the game ... promising that the winning bidder would get the red carpet treatment when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain team plays Ronaldo and Saudi All-Stars in a friendly in Riyadh.
A great welcome for our Parisians upon arrival in ππ’π²πππ‘! πβ€οΈπ#PSGQatarTour2023 | @qatarairways pic.twitter.com/aMn4KKxkuk
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) January 19, 2023
The initial bid was $266,000 ... but, eventually, Saudi businessman Mushref al-Ghamdi closed things out with a $2.6 million offer -- and he was pumped for the purchase.
According to Saudi officials, the lucky football fan will now get to meet both Messi and Ronaldo at the game. He'll also get access to the teams' locker rooms -- and the trophy presentation afterward.
The money, meanwhile, will be going to a good cause ... it was announced this week it'll all be donated to charity.
The game will not only feature Messi and Ronaldo -- France star Kylian Mbappe and Brazil star Neymar are expected to compete as well.
The contest gets underway in just a couple hours ... enjoy!!!