Riyadh Cup: Messi Speaks Ahead Of Inter Miami’s Clash With Ronaldo’s Club

Former Barcelona star player, Lionel Messi, has expressed his anticipation for the upcoming Riyadh Cup, where he will face his arch-rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Naija News understands that Messi’s club, Inter Miami and Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabia club, Al Nassr, will both participate in the highly-anticipated tournament, known as ‘The Last Dance’, which will be held at the state-of-the-art Kingdom Arena from Monday, January 29 to Friday, February 8.

This event could potentially mark the final encounter between Messi and Ronaldo, who have faced each other 35 times throughout their professional careers.

Out of these matches, Messi has emerged victorious 16 times, while Ronaldo has secured 10 wins, with nine draws in their encounters primarily in Spain and the Champions League.

Interestingly, both players found the back of the net in a friendly match last October when PSG, Messi’s former club, played against the Saudi All-Stars, resulting in a thrilling 5-4 victory for Messi’s team.

It is worth noting that this match took place shortly before Messi’s transfer to the United States.

However, taking to his social media page earlier, the Argentine forward, Messi wrote: “I can’t wait to be part of #RiyadhSeasonCup with my team Inter Miami CF, as we face top Saudi clubs in a historic championship.”

The game will serve as a preseason tournament for Inter Miami, with the new regular MLS season holding between February 21 and October 19, while the playoffs, October and December.