December 13 – In the latest coup for Saudi Arabia, the Arab Kingdom will host two Inter Miami pre-season matches, including a rematch between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who now plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr.
The Saudi Arabian matches have been added to what is becoming a pre-season global tour for Messi and Inter Miami, with games already confirmed against El Salvador and a Hong Kong select side.
The games in Saudi will take place during the Riyadh Season and for the Riyadh Season Cup that will feature three teams. Inter Miami will take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29 before facing Al-Nassr at the same venue on February 1.
The encounter with Al-Nassr will reignite the old rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo which has often been a dominant narratige in European football’s recent past. The pair have won the Ballon d’Or more than a dozen times between them.
“This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans,” said Inter Miami chief business officer Xavier Asensi in a statement.
“We are excited to connect with new supporters in Saudi Arabia, and also hope people all over the world will be tuning in to see a pair of dream matches like these.”
Messi moved to Florida earlier this year after receiving an offer to play in the Saudi Pro League. The Argentinian is a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia and his former club Paris Saint-Germain suspended him after an unauthorized trip to the country.
The coming days will see the focus of the global game pivot to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom stages its first FIFA competition since the 1997 Confederations Cup. On Tuesday, host club Al-Ittihad defeated Auckland City of New Zealand 3-0 thanks to goals from Romarinho, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema in the opening match of the Club World Cup.
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