On January 29th, Inter Miami will face Al-Hilal, and on February 1st, they will take on Ronaldo’s team, Al Nasr. These two clubs lead the Saudi Pro League, and Ronaldo is the top scorer in that league.
Finally, in Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will square off. Inter Miami confirmed on Monday that they will participate in the Riyadh Season Cup, announced by Saudi officials on November 21st. Inter Miami stated that the reports at that time were incorrect.
Inter Miami will play against Al-Hilal on January 29th and Ronaldo’s team, Al Nasr, on February 1st. Both clubs lead the Saudi Pro League, with Ronaldo being the top scorer in the league. Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s sporting director, said, “These matches will be a crucial test for our team, benefiting us in the upcoming season. We are excited to compete against quality teams like Al-Hilal and Al Nasr in our group.”
Inter Miami mentioned that Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 35 times between club and country, with Messi’s teams winning 16 times, Ronaldo’s teams winning 10 times, and drawing on nine occasions. Messi has scored 21 goals and provided 12 assists in those matches, while Ronaldo has 20 goals and one assist.
Messi has promoted tourism in Saudi Arabia and played in the Riyadh Season Cup this year when PSG was the guest team. By signing some of the greatest players, Saudi Arabia has made tremendous attempts to establish itself as a prominent force in world football, despite claims of corruption in the sport.
However, Messi could not be enticed to the oil-rich state after leaving PSG at the end of the previous season.Instead, Major League Soccer (MLS) was chosen by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi and Ronaldo are widely regarded as two of the greatest players of all time, competing against each other for the most prestigious awards in football during their prime years at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Inter Miami has announced four preseason matches, including a game against the national team of El Salvador on January 19th and a match against a team of top players in Hong Kong on February 4th. The MLS season is expected to kick off at the end of February.