Are Messi and Ronaldo playing against each other in the Riyadh Season Cup?

Soccer fans got excited today when Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment for the Saudi Government and owner of LaLiga side Almeria, tweeted that Inter Miami FC was going to compete against Al-Nassr FC in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia. Meaning, Lionel Messi would be playing against, Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was billed as ‘The Last Dance’ alluding to a final match-up between two two legends before they retire. “It’s the last dance of football greatness!” he wrote.

© Turki Alalshikh

The Tweet even included a flier of the two teams with their official emblems. News of the alleged friendly match spread like wildfire, and shortly after, Inter Miami released a statement that has been removed. Per ESPN, Inter Miami denied the claims, calling it “inaccurate.” “Earlier today, an announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate,” it read.

“The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas. Mas has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour,” the Inter Miami CF Communications Department said.

Their statement continued, “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.”

However, the webpage on Inter Miami’s website that ESPN linked to has been removed. The original tweet is still up.

© GettyImages

As noted by ESPN, the last time they played against each other was at the same tournament on Jan. 19, 2023, in Riyadh. Messi played with his old team, PSG, and he battled Ronaldo after his surprise move to Al Nassr. PSG won the match 5-4.