Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo set to meet again as Inter Miami face Al Nassr in Riyad Season Cup in February
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Updated 12/12/2023 at 12:40 GMT
Two of football's all-time greats are set to meet again in February as Lionel Messi's Inter Miami play Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr in the Riyad Season Cup. Miami will face Al Hilal and Al Nassr as part of their pre-season MLS preparations. It will be the 38th career meeting between Messi and Ronaldo. Al Nassr are second in the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo is the leading scorer with 16 goals.
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will lock horns once again when Inter Miami face Al Nassr in the Riyad Season Cup in February.
Messi’s Inter Miami had previously denied reports that they would play in the competition.
However, it has now been confirmed that Inter Miami will take on Al Hilal and Ronaldo’s Al Nassr early next year.
It will be the 38th career meeting between all-time greats Messi and Ronaldo.
"These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season," Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said in a statement.
"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."
Inter Miami will play Al Hilal on January 29 as part of their preparations for the new MLS season.
Al Hilal are top of the Saudi Pro League and their squad contains of former Premier League stars Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly and Aleksandr Mitrovic.
Miami will then take on Ronaldo’s Al Nassr on February 1.
Al Nassr are second in the league and Ronaldo is the leading scorer with 16 goals.
Ronaldo and Messi met in a club friendly earlier this year when Paris Saint-Germain played Riyadh All-Stars.
Messi leads the head-to-head record with 17 wins compared to 11 from Ronaldo’s teams.
Messi recently revealed that he was close to joining Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia as he weighed up his options following his PSG exit last summer.
"I was thinking a lot about going to the Saudi league," he told TIME Magazine.
"I know the country and they have created a very powerful competition that can become an important league in the near future.
“As the country’s tourism ambassador, it was a destination that attracted me, especially because I’ve enjoyed everything I have visited, because of how football is growing in the country and because of the effort they are putting into creating a top competition.
"It was Saudi Arabia or MLS, and both options seemed very interesting to me."
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