Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Miami to take on Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia
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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr in Riyadh on Feb 1.
PHOTOS: AFP
MIAMI – Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will play two matches in Saudi Arabia in early 2024, including one against familiar foe Cristiano Ronaldo and his club Al-Nassr, the Major League Soccer (MLS) team said on Dec 11.
The Riyadh Season Cup, a three-team round-robin tournament, is part of the team’s first international tour, which will also include stops in El Salvador and Hong Kong.
Miami are set to take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Jan 29 before facing Al-Nassr at the same venue on Feb 1.
“This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans,” Miami chief business officer Xavier Asensi said in a press release.
“We are excited to connect with new supporters in Saudi Arabia, and also hope people all over the world will be tuning in to see a pair of dream matches like these.”
In late November, Miami refuted claims by a promoter that they would face Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal at the Riyadh Season Cup.
Earlier that month, Miami announced that a planned trip to China for matches had been called off due to “unforeseen circumstances in China”.
Miami will travel to Hong Kong following the Saudi Arabia games to play a team made up from the Chinese territory’s First Division on Feb 4.
The team will then head back to the United States for the start of the MLS season later in February.
Messi and Ronaldo, who have faced each other more than 30 times in their careers, have won 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them, with the Argentinian leading that race eight to five.
In January, Ronaldo made his first appearance in Saudi Arabia following his move to Al-Nassr with a Riyadh All-Star XI, who lost 5-4 to a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Messi received an offer to play in the Saudi league after leaving PSG but opted to sign with Miami, where he led the team to a trophy in the Leagues Cup and fuelled a surge in ticket prices, merchandise and subscriptions to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass.
Miami have also said season tickets for their 2024 campaign are already sold out.
Asensi, who played a key role in getting Messi to sign with the South Florida side, was named the Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year by MLS on Dec 11.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said on Dec 8: “The greatest player to ever play the game made MLS his league of choice.
“Lionel Messi had many options for the next chapter of his iconic soccer playing career. The magnitude of his decision to join MLS cannot be overstated.” REUTERS, AFP