Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Inter Miami to play Al-Nassr in Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia
The greatest rivalry in football is all set to rekindle itself as lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo get ready to come face-to- face once again. Inter Miami has confirmed that they will take on AI- Nassr in the Riyadh season Cup next year.
In short :
Lionel Messi to lock horns with Cristiano Ronaldo next year
Inter Miami to take on AI-Nassr in February 2024
Messi and Ronaldo to clash in Riyadh season cup
The match is part of the three team Riyadh season cup, marking the first international tour for inter Miami, featuring trips to EI Salvador and Hongkong as well.
The team will initially play against AI-Hilal to at kingdom Arena, Riyadh on January 28, prior to their face- off with AI- Nassr at the same venue on February 1. This sheduled game marks another chapter of the historic rivalry between two of the modern game’s greatest players, Messi and Ronaldo.
Ronaldo made a move from Premier League side Manchester United to AI-Nassr last season and has gone on to score 34 goals while providing 12 assists in 41 appearances. This season itself, Ronaldo has scored 20 goals and provided 10 assists in 22 games for AI-Nassr.
As for Messi, he made a move from paris Saint-Germain to MLS side inter Miami this year. The Argentine superstar scored 11 goals in 14 appearances across all competitions, including a memorable stint in the leagues cup, where he netted 10 goals and provided an assist, leading inter Miami to their first ever trophy.
Despite missing out on the MLS playoffs, Messi’s performance have been stellar, earning him the team MVP for the 2023 season. His arrival also sparked a surge in league interest with jersey sales and match viewership soaring, Underscoring his influence beyond pitch.
In a press releasee, InterMiami chief business officer Xavier Asensi said the match will help them to grow their fan base in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.
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, said Asensi.
The two players share an impressive 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them, with Messi leading the race by eight to Ronald’s five. The two players have previously clashed over thirty times in their illustrious careers.
Total goals scored by Messi and Ronaldo 2023
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Season | Lionel Messi |
| 5 | 2002-03 | – |
| 6 | 2003-04 | – |
| 9 | 2004-05 | 1 |
| 12 | 2005-06 | 8 |
| 23 | 2006-07 | 17 |
| 42 | 2007-08 | 16 |
| 26 | 2008-09 | 38 |
| 33 | 2009-10 | 47 |
| 53 | 2010-11 | 53 |
| 60 | 2011-12 | 73 |
| 55 | 2012-13 | 60 |
| 51 | 2013-14 | 41 |
| 61 | 2014-15 | 58 |
| 51 | 2015-16 | 41 |
| 42 | 2016-17 | 54 |
| 44 | 2017-18 | 45 |
| 28 | 2018-19 | 51 |
| 37 | 2019-20 | 31 |
| 36 | 2020-21 | 38 |
| 24 | 2021-22 | 11 |
| 17 | 2022-23 | 21 |
| 17 | 2023-24/2023 | 11 |
| 732 | Total | 715 |
ronaldo vs messi: who is best
A serious discussion point on five a side pitchs and barstools across the world, the issue of which player is the greates of all time persists.
Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi who is the Goat? it is the biggest conundrum in football since the Diego Maradona or Pele debate.
The question of who is better between th eportuguese phenomenon and the empyrean Argentine has domianted the minds of football fans everywhere for the past decade and will persist into the future .
Club and national loyalties can cloud judgement on the matter, while personalities also play a part in how good a player is perceived to be, and most people know who they pick.
So who really is the greatest of all time? Never mind who you prefer, Goal has taken a look at how the pair actually shape up head to head so you can be fully armed with facts in the eternal argument.
Ronaldo has scored more club goals than Messi but only just and it should be noted that that Manchester United Stara benefits from having played tow more seasons than his Argentine nemesis thus far.
Each of them has remarkably netted over 690 clube goals in their careers so for, with the five seasons between 2009-10 and 2014-15 proving particularly golden as they pushed each other to greater heights.
While Ronalod currently has more goals overall , Messi has the edge in the scoring department, with a higher season aerage, having hit a high of 73 goals in 2011-12, though his average dropped after a disappointing maiden campaign at PSG in 2021-22.
Ronaldo highest season return was 61, which he achieved in 2014-15, and he surpassed the 50-goal mark every season for six years between 2010-11 and 2015-16.
Intrestingly, while Ronaldo’s seasonal totals have declined somewhat in recent years he failed to break the 30 goal mark in 2018-19 during his first seaason at Juventus-Messi’s have remained consistent, though the Argentine’s rate slowed after joining PSG.
When it comes to assists, Messi is much superior to Ronaldo and that contrast has become increasingly stark as their respective roles evolve.
The fact that Messi creates so many goals as well as scoring them is a major consideration when deciding which player is the Goat and, while Ronaldo chips in with his fair share, the difference in this particular realm is stark.
Ronaldo is the all time leading goalscorer in the champions league, having shone in the competition with Manchester united and Real Madrid in particular.
However Messi isn’t far behind and actually has fractionally better goal per game ratio, so there is a good chance that he could overtake the man United man if he continue to sparkel in the competiton.
Ronaldo also holds the record for most overall champions League appearances, having over taken lkler Casillas.
The individual battle between Ronaldo and Messi has been the defining features of modern football for the past decade and more.
Messi went ahead of Ronaldo in the Ballon d’Or stakes when he won his sixth in 2019 and cemented his superior status in that field with his seventh in 2021
Ronaldo does boast more of FIFA’s new “The Best’ awards and has been crowned UEFA player of the year on more occasions, but Messi has won more league player of the year accolades of course it must be said that Ronaldo has won the player of the year award in England, Spain and Italy
Messi has got his hands on the European Golden shoe record six times, which is two more than Ronaldo, and is marginally ahead of his rival overall, but the fact that both have been on the FIFA World Xl 14 times is an illustration of how closely fought the battle has been.
