Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the position of Inter Miami following a club statement
Inter Miami have denied their involvement in announced plans for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to meet in a friendly in Saudi Arabia in February.
The game between Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami and Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr was announced by organisers as part of the Riyadh Season Cup and was, it was said, scheduled to take place at the Kingdom Arena.
A statement said that Miami had been confirmed as “the guest international side” for the three-team, round-robin competition, and would be joined by clubs from the country, Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
The release also carried quotes from Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, that said: “We look forward to welcoming everyone from Inter Miami in February for the Riyadh Season Cup, which will bring together a number of the biggest international stars from across all three clubs competing.
“The excitement and global interest that we expect this tournament to generate expands upon one of our main aspirations for Riyadh Season – to create international events that visitors to Riyadh and fans around the world can all enjoy.”
The release also indicated that a schedule of fixtures would be announced in due course.
The Last Dance
مباراة تاريخية تجمع أساطير كرة القدم رونالدو و ميسينادي انتر ميامي يلعب ضد نادي النصر في بطولة كأس موسم الرياض…
في المملكة ارينا Feb 2024
It’s the last dance of football greatness!
Ronaldo vs Messi clash on the pitch.Watch Inter Miami FC… pic.twitter.com/3aHtVGtFQI
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) November 21, 2023
However, a statement from Miami later in the day moved to contradict the announcement from the proposed hosts, calling it “inaccurate”.
“Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” the statement read. “The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour.
“Since day one, Inter Miami CF has set out to be a global brand. To this end, we have been in conversations to determine our 2024 preseason schedule. We look forward to showcasing our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour which will be announced in the coming weeks.”
Messi and Ronaldo enjoyed one of the most high-profile rivalries in the sport for a large portion of their careers.
Messi, 36, played the majority of his career at Barcelona while Ronaldo, 38, competed against the Argentina international during his successful spell at Real Madrid after moving from Manchester United in 2009.
Between 2008 and 2017, it was only Messi or Ronaldo who lifted the men’s Ballon d’Or — the award given to the player who is considered the best in Europe.
Messi last played against Ronaldo when his former side, Paris Saint-Germain, played against the Saudi All-Stars in January this year. Both players scored in the game.
Inter Miami signed Messi in July on a two-and-a-half year deal. He had attracted interest from former side Barcelona and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo, meanwhile, joined Al Nassr in January after his contract was mutually terminated by United.
GO DEEPER
‘He sold himself to the devil’ – Messi, 2030 and a very uncomfortable deal with Saudi Arabia
(BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
