Lionel Messi v. Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Miami to play Al-Nassr on February 1 in pre-season tournament
The MLS side will travel to Saudi Arabia to play an exhibition competition also involving Al-Hilal, where the Argentina and Portugal captains will renew their rivalry
Which league is stronger, the Saudi Pro League or Major League Soccer (MLS)? Which team is better, Inter Miami or Al-Nassr? These questions provide endless discussion between fans of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who continue their rivalry even now that their glory days at club level are behind them. They are actually different ways of asking who is better: Messi or Ronaldo. Aware of the fascination the rivalry generates, the owners of Inter Miami and Al-Nassr have agreed to a showdown, scheduled for February. It will be a triangular tournament in which Neymar’s side, Al-Hilal, will also take part.
Messi and Ronaldo have met 35 times in their careers, with 16 wins for Messi, 10 for Ronaldo and nine draws. In those matches, Messi has 21 goals and 12 assists, while Ronaldo has 20 goals and one assist.
Both Messi and Ronaldo were signed to add star power to their respective leagues. The Saudi Pro League has a greater array of big names, signed at a great cost. In MLS, Messi’s arrival has caused a sensation. Both remain far below the competitive level of the European leagues and, in particular, Spain’s La Liga, where Messi and Ronaldo’s rivalry was cemented at Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Inter Miami will first take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Monday, January 29. The Saudi team is the most successful in Asian history with 66 titles and is currently first in the league. It boasts players such as Neymar (who will be unavailable due to injury), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom. The club is coached by former Sporting Lisbon manager Jorge Jesus.
On Thursday, February 1, Inter will play Al-Nassr, also at the Kingdom Arena. The Saudi side, coached by Portuguese Luís Castro, is currently second in the table behind Al-Hilal and also features other star players including Sadio Mané and Aymeric Laporte.
“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,” Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami’s business director, said in a statement.
“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,” added Chris Henderson, Inter Miami’s sporting director.
As part of its preseason, Inter Miami has already announced a match against the El Salvador national team in January, as well as another international tour match with a game against the Hong Kong Team.
It is a given that Uruguayan Luis Suárez, a personal friend of Messi’s and a former teammate at Barcelona, will join Inter Miami next season as a free agent having left his most recent club, Grêmio, although Inter has not yet confirmed a deal.
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