Hours after the media and social space were awash with unconfirmed report of a match between, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr where the two football legends will possibly play against themselves for the last time, Inter Miami has come up to dispell such rumour adding that says it has not agreed to compete in Saudi Arabia next February.
The US squad denied any pre-season tour plans that could see them play against Al-Nassr and another Saudi Arabia’s Club, Al-Hilal in the Riyadh Season Cup.
“Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” the Inter Miami statement said.
“The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the pre-season tour.”
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who joined the US squad in July and sparked a championship run in the Leagues Cup against US and Mexican clubs, has made Inter Miami a desired team for global contests.
Earlier this month, Inter Miami announced that a planned trip to China for matches had been called off due to “unforseen circumstances in China.”
In this latest case, a Messi versus Ronaldo rematch proved too good to be true, Inter Miami’s statement said.
“Since day one, Inter Miami has set out to be a global brand. To this end, we have been in conversations to determine our 2024 pre-season schedule,” the statement said.
“We look forward to showcasing our players on Inter Miami’s first international tour, which will be announced in the coming weeks.”
Messi, 36, led Argentina to last year’s World Cup crown.
Last January, Ronaldo made his first appearance in Saudi Arabia following his move to Al Nassr with a Riyadh All-Star XI that lost 5-4 to a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos
