Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Inter Miami’s position following a club statement
Inter Miami has denied its involvement in announced plans for a friendly match between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia in February.
The match between Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami and Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr was announced by organizers as part of the Riyadh Season Cup and was reportedly scheduled to take place at the Kingdom Arena.
A statement said Miami had been confirmed as a “host international team” for the three-team round-robin competition and would be supported by the country’s clubs Al Nassr and Al Hilal.
The release also included quotes from Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, who said: “We look forward to welcoming everyone from Inter Miami to the Riyadh Season Cup in February, bringing together a number of the biggest international stars. “across all three participating clubs.
“The excitement and global interest we expect from this tournament complements one of our key goals for the Riyadh season: to create international events that both visitors to Riyadh and fans around the world can enjoy.”
The press release also noted that a fixture list would be announced in due course.
However, later in the day, a statement from Miami contradicted the announcement of the proposed hosts, calling it “inaccurate.”
“Today it was announced that Inter Miami CF are expected to take part in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” the statement said. “The publication contained statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has not made any public or private comments about the preseason tour.
“Inter Miami CF has been committed to becoming a global brand since day one. To this end, we have held discussions to determine our 2024 pre-season schedule. We look forward to showcasing our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour, which will be announced in the coming weeks.”
Messi and Ronaldo enjoyed one of the greatest rivalries in the sport for much of their careers.
Messi, 36, played most of his career at Barcelona, while Ronaldo, 38, faced off against the Argentina international during his successful spell at Real Madrid following his move from Manchester United in 2009.
Between 2008 and 2017, only Messi or Ronaldo won the men’s Ballon d’Or – the award given to the player considered the best in Europe.
Messi last played against Ronaldo when his former team, Paris Saint-Germain, played the Saudi All-Stars in January this year. Both players scored a goal in the game.
Inter Miami signed Messi in July on a two-and-a-half-year contract. He had attracted interest from former club Barcelona and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr in January after United terminated his contract by mutual consent.
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(BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)