A match that may be the final match in the long-running rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will take place in the Middle East after months and months of conjecture.
Messi and the rest of his squad will fly to Saudi Arabia to play Al Nassr, the club that Cristiano Ronaldo plays for, Inter Miami revealed.
They will play their first game against Al-Hilal, the team that his friend Neymar plays for, before that.
By then, the globe might be seeing a final meeting between Messi and CR7, even if the Brazilian might still be healing from an ACL tear.
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team will travel to Saudi Arabia to play preseason friendlies
One of the two matches will feature old foe Cristiano Ronaldo and his club Al Nassr
Miami will also face Al-Hilal, the club of one of Messi’s friends – the injured Brazilian Neymar
The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, will host both games.
This is a significant chance to forge enduring bonds with ardent supporters. Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi stated, “We are thrilled to connect with new supporters in Saudi Arabia and hope people all over the world will be tuning in to see a pair of dream matches like these.”
“We will benefit as we approach the new season from these matches, which will offer important tests for our team,” stated Chris Henderson, the Sporting Director and Chief Soccer Officer of Inter Miami.
“We are thrilled about the opportunity for our team to play against teams of the caliber of Al-Hilal and Al Nassr.”
Only a few weeks ago, Inter Miami squashed rumors of a showdown between the American team and Al Nassr.
In the 35 times that Messi and Ronaldo have faced off, Messi has won 16 of them, Ronaldo has won 10, and nine have ended in draws.
The two clubs will be playing the match at two very different stages of their seasons.
Al Nassr will be midway through their Asian competition and Saudi Pro League campaign. Conversely, Inter Miami’s Major League Soccer season won’t even have begun in a few weeks.
That being said, they still intend to play some games. Before the Saudi swing, Inter Miami will have previously played two national teams: one against El Salvador and the other against Hong Kong.