Inter Miami hit back at Al-Nassr friendly rumours as Messi and Ronaldo reunion in doubt

Posted Wednesday, November 22, 2023 by Express.co.uk

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami have issued a statement hitting back at reports suggesting they had agreed to play a friendly game against Saudi Arabia side Al-Nassr.

Inter Miami hit back at Al-Nassr friendly rumours as Messi and Ronaldo reunion in doubt
Messi and Ronaldo will do battle again in a friendly in Riyadh (Image: Getty)

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami have issued a statement hitting out at claims they had agreed a deal to play in Saudi Arabia next year as part of Riyadh Season - claiming a deal to see Messi play against Cristiano Ronaldo one last time is yet to be made.

With both superstars having won more Ballon d'Ors than any other players in history, they will go down in the analls of the sport as having defined an era. However, the supposed curtain call set for February 2024 is now set to be off, with Miami issuing a statement denying a deal had been made.

Having lit up European football over the last two decades, both players departed the continent for the first time in their respective careers earlier this year. In the case of Ronaldo, he headed to Saudi Arabia in January following a second spell with Manchester United, earning £59million a year until 2025.

Messi, meanwhile, sensationally snubbed the advances of the Gulf State in the summer to move to MLS, where he earns £47.8m on an initial two-year deal.

Inter Miami hit back at Al-Nassr friendly rumours as Messi and Ronaldo reunion in doubt
World-famous pair Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have faced off once before in Riyadh (Image: Getty)

Despite the internet being set ablaze with excitement over the game - dubbed 'The Last Dance' in the latest reference to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' documentary of the same name - Miami have now issued a statement denying the game will take place.

The statement read: "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 preseason 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."

Messi was set to return to club football earlier in November after a disappointing MLS year ended with Miami missing the post-season. But the scheduled tour of China was scrapped after issues in the Asian country, meaning Miami have no fixtures scheduled until the regular season starts again in March.