Last dance is on!

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

A day after Lionel Messi's club Inter-Miami issued a statement denying their association with the Last Dance, a fixture between Portuguese super star Cristiano Ronaldo and the Argentine legend being planned in Saudi Arabia, the US club have deleted their statement.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Messi and Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi outfit Al-Nassr, will face each other in the Riyadh Season Cup to be held in Saudi in February 2024 which will also include FIFA Club World Cup runners up Al-Hilal led by Serbian Aleksandar Mitrovic and Asian star Salem Al-Dawsari.

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Both clubs agree

In a statement, president of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority Turki Al-Sheikh had said: "Riyadh Season and Inter Miami CF agreed to hold the Riyadh Season Cup matches in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season activities. In a tournament that brings together the two Saudi clubs, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, and Inter Miami CF, the matches will be played in league format."

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However, later the same day, Inter Miami which is owned by England legend David Beckham, issued a statement denying their association with the Riyadh Season. "Earlier today, an announcement was issued that Inter Miami is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is inaccurate. The release included statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas, but Mas had made no comments, publicly or privately in relation to the pre-season tour," Inter Miami said in a statement.

On Thursday however, Inter Miami removed this statement from their website. It is learnt that the club's management, after talks with Saudi authorities, have agreed to be part of the Last Dance.

Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent this season after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. He has scored 11 goals in the 14 Major League Soccer games across competitions so far.

Messi v Ron back then

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, 38, has been a part of Al-Nassr since January after leaving English giants Manchester United in November 2022. He has scored 30 goals 36 games for the Saudi club so far. Interestingly, the last time Messi and Ronaldo played against each other was in January 2022, when the Argentine's then club PSG beat a Saudi Pro League All-Stars XI 5-4.

What is Riyadh season cup?

Riyadh Season Cup is the top footballing event of Saudi Arabia hosted by Riyadh Season, a government-sponsored sports and entertainment initiative, between October and February. In the first week of February, the Saudi authorities are planning a tournament where Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr which could potentially be the last time these two legends face each other on the professional circuit.

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