Inter Miami announce Saudi Arabia tour with Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo friendly

Inter Miami have announced they will tour Saudi Arabia this winter for the Riyadh Season Cup with friendly games against Al Hilal and Al Nassr — which will see Lionel Messi play against Cristiano Ronaldo.

The club’s statement comes less than a month after Inter Miami denied reports of their involvement in the competition, which had planned for them to play Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

Inter Miami will first play Al Hilal — whose squad contains Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandr Mitrovic, Malcom and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, although Neymar will miss the game through injury — on Monday 29 January.

Three days later they will face Al Nassr, whose ranks include Ronaldo alongside former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, ex Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and defenders Alex Telles and Aymeric Laporte — formerly of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.

Both matches will be played  in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh and each will get underway at 6pm GMT (9pm Saudi time).

“This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans. 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,” said Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami’s chief business officer.

Adding a stop to our Preseason International Tour📍🌏

We will play two matches in Saudi Arabia in the Riyadh Season Cup as part of our first-ever international tour!

In a round-robin tournament format, we will take on Saudi powerhouses Al-Hilal SFC and Al Nassr FC on Monday,… pic.twitter.com/Xi9M0QApLi

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 11, 2023

Inter Miami’s chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson added: “These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season. We’re excited for our group to get the chance to go up against teams with as much quality as Al-Hilal and Al Nassr.”

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.

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