Less than a month ago, Inter Miami denied rumours about participating in a so-called ‘The Last Dance’ tournament, featuring their club, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, which would reunite Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for one last time. The club issued a statement, emphasizing that ‘the team’s owner Jorge Mas has made no comments, neither publicly nor privately, regarding the preseason tour’. And yet, here we are today, reading the headlines that the tournament will take place. Inter Miami on Monday confirmed details of two upcoming friendlies in Saudi Arabia next year, which will include a showdown between Lionel Messi and old rival Cristiano Ronaldo. The Major League Soccer club had already announced plans for the team to face Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Riyadh without confirming a date. Inter said on Monday the team would take on Saudi powerhouses Al Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29. They will then face Al Nassr at the same venue on February 1, giving Messi the chance to lock horns once again with Ronaldo in the latest instalment of a rivalry that has spanned decades stretching back to their first meeting in 2008.Messi’s Inter Miami will play Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on the 1st of February. ⚔️🔥 pic.twitter.com/lUcEX89qZ2— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) December 12, 2023 “These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season” said Chris Henderson, Miami’s chief soccer officer and sporting director. Miami will travel to Hong Kong following the Saudi Arabia games to play a team made up from the Chinese territory’s First Division on February 4. The team will then head back to the US for the start of the MLS season later in February.Forbes’ top ten highest-paid footballers: Ronaldo on the top again, Messi earns the most from sponsorsWhen recently asked about his rivalry with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo said:”I don’t see it that way anymore, there is no rivalry. It was nice, the fans liked it. Anyone who likes Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have to hate Messi. Both are very good, they changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that’s the most important thing. He’s gone his way, so have I. He’s doing well, from what I’ve seen. The legacy is there, but the rivalry? I don’t see it that way. I’ve always said, we shared the stage for 15 years and were, I won’t say friends, but like two colleagues who respect each other”##NAJAVA_MECA_7738431##
