Inter Miami not set to face Al Nassr in preseason friendly
- Sources close to the situation maintain that no friendly, or preseason trip to Saudi Arabia has been confirmed yet for Inter Miami
- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could still potentially face off in the FIFA Club World Cup
- Herons to kick off 2024 MLS season in February
Inter Miami is not set to face Al Nassr in a preseason friendly ahead of the 2024 Major League Soccer season, sources close to 90min confirm.
Rumors arose of a potential face-off between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after Almeria owner Turki Al-Sheikh revealed on X (formerly Twitter) the two teams would take part in the Riyadh Season Cup in February 2024. The post, marketing the game as The Last Dance, added Inter Miami would also play against Al Hilal.
"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 statement read.
But sources close to the situation maintain that no friendly, or preseason trip to Saudi Arabia, has been confirmed yet for Inter Miami.
Sources close to the situation confirm to me that the Inter Miami vs Al Nassr friendly is not official, and unlikely to be played.
— Lizzy Becherano (@lizzy_becherano) November 21, 2023
As it stands, the only way Lionel Messi could face Cristiano Ronaldo in a club setting would be at the FIFA Club World Cup.
For the time being, the only way Messi could confront Ronaldo in a club setting would be through the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Both teams would have to win their respective Champions League conferences to reach the international tournament.
The Herons concluded the 2023 Major League Soccer season on October 21, losing to Charlotte FC to finish in 14th place of the Eastern Conference table and miss the playoffs. The team then hosted New York City FC in a postseason friendly on November 10, presenting Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or prior to kick off in a special ‘Noche d’Or’ ceremony.
Inter Miami are slated to kick off the 2024 MLS campaign in late February.