Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face each other on the field for potentially the final time when Inter Miami play Al-Nassr in a friendly staged in Saudi Arabia early next year.
Messi and Ronaldo shared a rivalry for over a decade as they competed for the title of the best player in the world and repeatedly locked horns on the pitch in fierce clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid in El Classico.
Between them, Messi and Ronaldo have won 13 Ballon d’Or awards - with the Argentine leading eight to five. Messi’s victory with Argentina at the Qatar World Cup also gave him the edge over his Portuguese counterpart.
Messi and Ronaldo have since departed the elite level of the club game as they reached the end of their careers, with Messi now playing for Inter Miami in the United States and Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League after leaving Manchester United.
Inter Miami announced that they will play two matches in Saudi Arabia early next year, as part of a three-team round-robin tournament called the Riyadh Season Cup in which they will play against Al-Hilal January 29 before facing Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on February 1.
Messi received an offer to play in the Saudi Pro League after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer - but opted to sign with Miami. Messi last faced Ronaldo on the pitch earlier this year when PSG played a friendly against a Saudi Pro League XI.
Messi and Ronaldo’s meeting comes after the Portuguese declared their rivalry “over”. Speaking in September, Ronaldo said he and Messi changed football but it was time for fans to stop the “hate” of the other player.
“Hatred? I don’t see things like that, the rivalry is over,” Ronaldo said. “It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi and vice versa.
“We’ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that’s the most important thing.
“He’s followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I’ve seen, he’s been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don’t see the rivalry like that.
“We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I’m not saying we’re friends, I’ve never had dinner with him, but we’re professional colleagues and we respect each other.”
