No matter how people try to make the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo bitter, there’s no denying that the two players have made each other better over the years. These are the two greatest players in the history of the sport, and the more quality continues to diminish in soccer, the clearer it becomes that we may never see their likes again.
With Messi now playing in the MLS and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, it was generally thought that the two may never meet again. However, fans have been left relishing the chance to see these two greats lock horns again when Inter Miami play Al Nassr in next year’s Riyadh Season Cup as part of Inter Miami’s pre-season schedule.
Details on Inter Miami vs Al Nassr
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play against each other for the first time since January, when PSG played a friendly game against the Saudi All-Star XI, which ended 5-4 in favor of the French side, as both players got on the scoresheet.
Fans are set to witness another blockbuster game between Ronaldo and Messi, as Inter Miami recently announced its participation in the Riyadh Season Cup, which will see the Florida-based franchise come up against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Neymar’s Al-Hilal.
“Inter Miami CF announced today that it will travel to Saudi Arabia during the 2024 preseason to participate in the Riyadh Season Cup as part of the club’s first-ever international tour,” the club announced on their website through Xavier Asensi, Miami’s Chief of Business Officer, a big winner in the year-ending MLS awards.
“The team will play two matches in the country in a round-robin tournament format, taking on Saudi powerhouses Al-Hilal SFC and Al Nassr FC. This is another opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans. We are excited to connect with new supporters in Saudi Arabia and also hope people all around the world will be tuning in to see a pair of dream matches like these,” he concluded.
The match between Inter Miami and Al Nassr will be played on February 1 at 1 pm ET, just a few days before Cristiano Ronaldo’s birthday. Although it’s a friendly match, all eyes will again be on Lionel Messi and his eternal rival as they meet again.
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo head-to-head
Cristiano Ronaldo’s rivalry with Lionel Messi began in 2008 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Manchester United, although not many would have thought it would have lasted for so long.
They have since played 37 matches against each other, with Messi winning 17 of those, including the friendly encounter between PSG and Saudi All-Stars earlier this year.
More than half of these 37 meetings happened in the Spanish La Liga, when Messi and Ronaldo were playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively. Of the 18 La Liga meetings they played in, Messi won 10 of them, drew four and lost four.
While Lionel Messi has been scooping all the awards this year, including the 2023 Ballon d’Or and TIME’s Athlete of the Year award, Ronaldo has been outscoring his eternal rival, and the former United forward recently netted his 50th goal this year.
