Inter Miami DENY they have agreed to play in Saudi Arabian preseason tournament that would see Lionel Messi face off against Cristiano Ronaldo… as team release statement refuting ‘inaccurate’ reports

Inter Miami shutdown reports that the MLS team will compete in the Riyadh Season Cup on Tuesday evening.

Earlier on Tuesday it was announced that Lionel Messi and co. were due to play Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in a blockbuster friendly in February.

The game was billed as ‘The Last Dance’ in what would likely have been the final match between two of the sport’s all-time greats.

However, Inter Miami released a statement refuting their participation in the future showdown, labeling the claim as ‘inaccurate’.

The statement said, via ESPN, that team owner Jorge Mas “has not made any comments, publicly or privately, regarding the preseason tour.”

The alleged blockbuster clash was revealed by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment for the Saudi government and owner of LaLiga side Almeria.

Alalshikh had tweeted an advert for the match featuring Messi and Ronaldo with the caption: ‘It’s the last dance of great football! Ronaldo versus Messi clash on the pitch. Watch Inter Miami FC take on Al-Nassr FC in the Riyadh Season Cup.”

A press release followed claiming that Miami had been confirmed as ‘the international host team’ for the three-team round-robin competition.

In the release, Alalshikh also said: ‘We look forward to welcoming everyone from Inter Miami in February for the Riyadh Season Cup, which will bring together some of the biggest international stars from all three participating clubs.

“The excitement and global interest we expect this tournament to generate expands one of our key ambitions for the Riyadh season: creating international events that visitors to Riyadh and fans around the world can all enjoy.”

However, the Herons later contradicted the proposed hosts’ announcement.

‘Earlier today it was announced that Inter will play Miami CF in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is false,” the statement read in full.

The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comment, publicly or privately, regarding the preseason tour.

‘Since day one, Inter Miami CF has set itself the goal of being a global brand. With this in mind, we have been in discussions to determine our 2024 preseason schedule. We look forward to presenting our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour, which will be announced in the coming weeks.”

The match would pit Ronaldo against two other former Barcelona favorites, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as Messi.

Messi, now 36, built most of his legacy at Barcelona, ​​while Ronaldo, 38, reached similar heights at fierce rivals Real Madrid after leaving Manchester United in 2009.

The Inter Miami man was targeted for the Saudi league and was widely expected to follow Ronaldo there this year before ultimately deciding to join David Beckham’s Major League Soccer team.

Ronaldo signed for Al Nassr in December 2022 after an acrimonious split with United in his second spell at the club.

The Portuguese star will be paid around $75 million per year on a deal that runs until 2025.

Messi would have earned a similar wage in the Saudi league – more than in the United States – but he still earns between $50 and 60 million in Miami on a two-year contract with an option for a third season.

His deal is partly funded by Adidas and Apple, with Messi getting a cut of shirt sales and Apple television subscriptions to watch MLS.

Messi and his team failed to reach the MLS play-offs after a disastrous start to the season, but they still won the Leagues Cup and reached the final of the US Open Cup.

Ronaldo’s Al Nassr team features ex-Liverpool and Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane, as well as former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, Ronaldo’s ex-United teammate Alex Telles and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.

Al Hilal, the proposed other team in the competition, has Brazilian star Neymar, but if the tournament takes place at all, he will not feature due to his torn cruciate ligament.

Miami has long been touted for playing some lucrative friendlies abroad ahead of next year’s MLS season.

A post-season tour of China was scrapped earlier this month and they instead played New York City FC at their DRV PNK Stadium to commemorate Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or.

The Mas brothers, who own the club alongside Beckham, have also discussed arranging a friendly with Barcelona at Camp Nou so Messi can say goodbye to the fans on the pitch. They will also play a friendly against Newell’s Old Boys, Messi’s boys team in Argentina.

The debate between Messi and Ronaldo has polarized fans throughout their storied careers.

Messi won a World Cup with Argentina – Ronaldo did not with Portugal, but he did win the European Championship in 2016. Messi also has a Copa America to his name.

However, Ronaldo has won more Champions League titles, winning the tournament five times, four in Madrid and once in Manchester. Messi won the competition four times with Barcelona, ​​but missed the 2006 final – the first in his name – due to injury.

Messi won the Spanish LaLiga ten times in sixteen seasons with Barcelona, ​​while Ronaldo won the LaLiga there twice in nine years.

Messi, of course, also has eight Ballon d’Ors compared to Ronaldo’s five. Messi’s most recent copy this year was presented to him by Beckham at a ceremony in Paris.

Ronaldo considers himself a pioneer by joining the Saudi league – the first major star to do so – and said in July that the level is better than what Messi faces in the US.

“The Saudi league is better than the MLS,” Ronaldo said after his side lost 5-0 to Celta Vigo in a friendly match.

‘Now all the players come here. In a year, more top players will come to Saudi Arabia.”

Messi, meanwhile, has said the lifestyle in the US was a key factor behind his move to Miami.

“The people of this city and this club made it easy for us,” Messi said of his move in August. ‘The fans, the people I meet every day on the street in the city we are in now… it’s a spectacular city, and that’s why I can live with happiness.

“We are in that adjustment period, the children will be going to school soon, and that will help to get to the end of that adjustment and get used to everyday life.

“It only took a short period of time to complete the adjustment, but it was much easier than we thought.”