Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami is set to clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup next February, potentially marking a concluding showdown between these global football icons.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient, Messi, who joined the US team in July, sparked success in the Leagues Cup against American and Mexican clubs. He is anticipated to face off against five-time Ballon d’Or awardee Ronaldo.
At 36, Messi led Argentina to victory in the previous World Cup and has been a long-standing rival of Portugal’s 38-year-old captain, Ronaldo.
Inter Miami, named as the guest international side, will join Saudi Pro League teams Al-Hilal and Al Nassr for the Riyadh Season Cup in February. However, specific match dates at the Kingdom Arena for the round-robin competition have yet to be announced.
Miami boasts former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who collectively earned five La Liga titles.
Ronaldo, a five-time Champions League winner, joins Al Nassr alongside former Liverpool star Sadio Mane and former Inter Milan captain Marcelo Brozovic.
Al-Hilal includes Neymar, Brazil’s all-time top scorer, who is in the recovery phase from a knee injury.
In January last year, Ronaldo made his debut in Saudi Arabia after moving to Al Nassr, playing for a Riyadh All-Star XI that narrowly lost 5-4 against a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Sergio Ramos.
