Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi in the United States. The question of whether these two greats will meet again on the football field has been answered.
If everything goes as planned, the showdown between Messi and Ronaldo will be seen on February 1st at the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia. On this day, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will face off against Messi’s Miami. Prior to this, on January 29th, Miami will play against Al Hilal. It has been confirmed by Messi’s club, Inter Miami, in a statement released today.
This will mark the first international trip for Miami in their history. Neymar, playing for Al Hilal, won’t be on the field due to an injury. There’s no possibility of Neymar returning to the field before this match. Al Hilal has been the most successful team in the Saudi Pro League, winning 66 trophies in Asia.
On the other hand, Messi and Ronaldo will face each other two days later at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. This match will also kick off at midnight Bangladesh time. Messi has won 16 out of their previous 35 face-offs, while Ronaldo has won 10. Messi has scored 21 goals and assisted 12 times in these encounters, while Ronaldo has netted 20 goals and assisted once.
Miami’s announcement has also mentioned that tickets for this match will be available on the UEFA website. Further details about the broadcasting of the match will be provided later along with other new information. Plans for other preseason trips are also underway and will be announced within the week. Some matches already scheduled for January include Miami against El Salvador and a match in Hong Kong.
The chief business officer of Inter Miami, Javier Asensi, expressed excitement, saying, “This is a great opportunity to establish a lasting relationship with Saudi Arabia’s new supporters. This match will be a significant test for us in the new season and will play a crucial role in shaping our tactics.”
This news was confirmed by the AFP news agency in a message released earlier in December. However, Messi’s club had initially denied this news. Ronaldo, after joining Al Nassr, faced PSG in January and suffered a 5-4 defeat. Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe played for PSG in that match. Ronaldo also featured in that match and Messi scored a goal.
