World Cup champion and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi took home the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a record eighth time.
Could this be the last dance?
Lionel Messi's MLS club Inter Miami on Monday announced two preseason fixtures in Saudi Arabia. Messi and Co. will play Al-Hilal and Al Nassr, the latter of which Cristiano Ronaldo plays for.
Both games will transpire in the Kingdom Arena Stadium in Riyadh for the Riyadh Season Cup, which is a small round-robin tournament to help build players' fitness.
In Inter Miami's first ever international tour, it will first meet Al-Hilal on Monday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. ET. Al-Hilal is the current home of Brazilian star Neymar Jr., though he will be unavailable due to injury. Other former European stars such as Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom are expected to suit up.
Then on Thursday, Feb. 1, Messi and Co. will line up to play Ronaldo and Al Nassr, also at 1 p.m. ET. Along with Ronaldo, Al Nassr boasts former European hotshots Sadio Mane, Aymeric Laporte, Anderson Talisca, Marcelo Brozovic, Seko Fofana and David Ospina.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Messi and Ronaldo have battled 35 times in their historic careers, with Messi winning 16 times to Ronaldo's 10. They have nine draws between them. Messi has logged 21 goals and 12 assists in their affairs while Ronaldo posted 20 goals and one assist.
Soccer
Their last meeting also came in a friendly on Jan. 19, 2023, when Messi's Paris Saint-Germain played the Riyadh All-Stars XI that Ronaldo lined up for. It was Ronaldo's first game in Saudi Arabia since his departure from Manchester United, with PSG winning 5-4. Messi and Ronaldo were both on the scoresheet.
The friendly between Al Nassr and Inter Miami had been a rumor in November, to which the latter denied its participation in. But at the time, Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said that nothing had been finalized or if the team was ready to announce its preseason plans.
But now it's official, and Messi and Ronaldo will get to take the same pitch, potentially for the last time.
