Social media was abuzz on Tuesday with the announcement that Inter Miami has agreed to participate in the Riyadh Season Cup, in which Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would renew their rivalry for perhaps the final time next February.
The only problem? According to Inter Miami, it has yet to agree to such an appearance, which was being dubbed as “The Last Dance.”
“Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” the Inter Miami CF Communications Department said in a statement, according to ESPN. “The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour.”
Inter Miami, however, left the day open for such an agreement to happen in the future.
“Since day one, Inter Miami CF has set out to be a global brand,” the statement continued. “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.”
The Last Dance
مباراة تاريخية تجمع أساطير كرة القدم رونالدو و ميسينادي انتر ميامي يلعب ضد نادي النصر في بطولة كأس موسم الرياض… ⚽❤️🇸🇦
في المملكة ارينا 📌 Feb 2024
It's the last dance of football greatness! 🏆
Ronaldo vs Messi clash on the pitch.Watch Inter Miami FC… pic.twitter.com/3aHtVGtFQI
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) November 21, 2023
Arguably soccer’s most storied rivalry between two players, Messi and Ronaldo regularly competed against one another during their respective stints at Barcelona and Real Madrid. Their rivalry in La Liga, however, came to an end when Ronaldo left for Serie A’s Juventus in 2018, with Messi later leaving for Ligue 1’s Paris Saint Germain in 2021.
While they still occasionally faced off — including in the Riyadh Season Cup this past January — their rivalry was threatened when Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and Messi joined the MLS’ Inter Miami. But while Inter Miami has denied agreeing to take part in such a friendly, the MLS side also hasn’t ruled it out as it appears there is at least one last chapter of the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry to be written.
[ESPN]
