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Two of the greatest footballers of this era, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are scheduled to face each other during the 2024 preseason as Major League Soccer giants Inter Miami will square off against Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup next year. While this will be Inter Miami's first international tour, Ronaldo and Messi will face each other for the 36th time in their career.
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Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are scheduled to face Saudi Pro League powerhouses Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal in their first-ever international tour. “This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans. 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,” said Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer.
“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 2024 Preseason tour
The David Beckham-owned side will begin their Riyadh Season Cup campaign against Al-Hilal, which feature stars like Neymar Jr. (who won't be available due to injury), Ruden Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom. The match between Inter Miami and Al-Hilal will take place on January 29 at 11 p.m. IST.
Following their match against Al-Hilal, Inter Miami will face Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, featuring stars like Sadio Mane, Anderson Talisca, Aymeric Laporte, Otavio, and Marcelo Brozovic, on February 1 at 11 p.m. IST. Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 35 times and the former dominates the fixture with 16 wins to the Portuguese's 10 wins as nine games ended in a draw. While Messi scored 21 goals and 12 assists in these head-to-head clashes, Ronaldo scored 20 goals and one assist.
Apart from their 2024 preseason matches against the Saudi Pro League clubs, Inter Miami will square off against the El Salvador national team in January followed by their match against the Hong Kong Team in Hong Kong.
(With Inputs from Inter Miami CF Press Release)
