RIYADH SEASON CUP
Inter Miami confusion over Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo “Last Dance” match in Riyadh
Initial reports suggested the former Barcelona and Real Madrid idols were set to face each other at the Riyadh Season Cup in February.
Will we ever get to see Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head on the same field again? Early on Tuesday, it appeared we would. Later on Tuesday, it appeared we wouldn’t. Now, “The Last Dance,” as it has (not very originally) been named, it somewhat up in the air.
Press release “confirms” Messi vs Ronaldo clash
It was initially reported by Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment for the Saudi Government and owner of LaLiga club Almería, that Messi’s Inter Miami would take part in the Riyadh Season Cup alongside Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Al Hilal in a seemingly official press release.
“Riyadh Season and Inter Miami CF have agreed to hold the Riyadh Season Cup matches in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season activities. In a tournament that brings together the two Saudi clubs, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, and Inter Miami CF, the matches will be played in the format of a league system. The league schedule will be announced at a later time.
“The tournament is scheduled to be held in the first week of February 2024, with the participation of the stars of all participating clubs, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in the Kingdom Arena, which was recently inaugurated at the opening ceremony of the fourth edition of Riyadh Season.
“The world’s most prominent football stars will participate in the tournament, including the Saudi Al-Nassr Club player, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and the American club Inter Miami Argentine star Lionel Messi in a confrontation that will be the talk of the world, dubbed “The Last Dance”.
Inter Miami refute claims of Riyadh Season Cup participation
A matter of hours later, however, The Herons put out a statement of their own denying that they had come to any agreement to take part.
“Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate.
“The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the pre-season tour.
“Since day one, Inter Miami CF has set out to be a global brand. To this end, we have been in conversations to determine our 2024 preseason schedule.
“We look forward to showcasing our players on Inter Miami CF’s first international tour which will be announced in the coming weeks.”
MLS team delete “Last Dance” statement
But that publication has now been deleted from the Inter Miami website, leaving us all wondering whether they are in or out, and whether Messi and Ronaldo will, in, fact, strut their stuff in “The Last Dance” or not.
The plot thickens…