Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo to take on Lionel Messi of Inter Miami in Riyadh Season Cup

Inter Miami featuring Lionel Messi is set to head to Saudi Arabia to take on two iconic teams from the Saudi Pro League including former rival Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

As part of their participation in Riyadh Season Cup, Inter Miami will play two matches in the kingdom early next year, the Major League Soccer team said on Monday.

Intern Miami’s international tour pits Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo

Miami are set to take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29 before facing Al-Nassr at the same venue on February 1.

Al Hilal, is the most decorated in the history of Asia, with 66 titles to its name and currently sits atop the table in league play. The team is coached by former Sporting CP player and manager Jorge Jesus, and boasts star players such as Neymar (who is unavailable through injury), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the Saudi Pro League’s leading goal scorer this season. His team, Al Nassr, coached by Portuguese manager Luís Castro, currently sits second in the table behind Al-Hilal, and also features other stars like Sadio Mané and Aymeric Laporte.

Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 35 times in their careers, with Messi claiming 16 wins to 10 by Ronaldo, and nine draws between them. In those matches, Messi has tallied 21 goals and 12 assists, while Ronaldo has registered 20 goals and one assist.

Riyadh Season Cup

The Riyadh Season Cup, a three-team round-robin tournament, is part of the team’s first international tour, which will also include stops in El Salvador and Hong Kong.

Adding a stop to our Preseason International Tour??

We will play two matches in Saudi Arabia in the Riyadh Season Cup as part of our first-ever international tour!

In a round-robin tournament format, we will take on Saudi powerhouses Al-Hilal SFC and Al Nassr FC on Monday,… pic.twitter.com/Xi9M0QApLi

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 11, 2023

“These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season. We’re excited for our group to get the chance to go up against teams with as much quality as Al-Hilal and Al Nassr,” said Chris Henderson, chief soccer officer and sporting director, Inter Miami.