Lionel Messi has confirmed he will be heading to Saudi Arabia in what could be his last showdown with his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi and Ronaldo set an unprecedented duopoly, dominating the sport over almost a decade-and-a-half. Both players boasts a glittering careers, with the Argentine having won eight Ballon d’Or awards, while the Portugal superstar has claimed five.
2023 marked the first time that the two icons were playing outside of Europe, as Ronaldo started the year at Al Nassr and Messi would later join Inter Miami after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain had expired in June.
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Now playing in two different continents, chances of the pair competing against each other seemed very slim.
However, Messi has confirmed that he will be travelling with his club to face off some top Saudi opposition.
According to Forbes, the 36-year-old said in a recent Instagram post: "I can’t wait to be part of [the] Riyadh Season Cup with my team Inter Miami FC as we face top Saudi clubs in a historic championship.”
The tournament will start on 29 January and end on 2 February, with Neymar's Al Hilal being the third participating team.
With both players taking part in the competition, it could be the last encounter between them given that they play in different continents and are in the twilight of their careers.
Messi's teammate Nicolas Stefanelli has recently told Fox Sports that he was left star-struck when he heard the news that the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner would be joining the Florida team:
Stefanelli said: “When the news came out, we couldn't believe it. We said it was a lie. We didn't believe it, we said it wasn't going to happen. I didn't believe it until I greeted him. If I think about it, I still haven't get my head around it to this day.”
“I wanted to do everything together. I gave him a kiss and we started talking" Stefanelli, who is also from Argentina, also revealed that his compatriot doesn't speak English.
“No I haven’t heard him speak English. We are waiting!”
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