Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami will play two games in Saudi Arabia early next year, one against familiar rival Cristiano Ronaldo and his side Al-Nassr, the Major League Soccer team stated on Monday.
The Riyadh Season Cup, a three-team round-robin competition, is part of the team’s first international tour, which will also take them to El Salvador and Hong Kong.
Miami will face Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on January 29, before taking on Al-Nassr at the same venue on Feb. 1.
In a press release, Inter Miami chief business officer Xavier Asensi stated, “This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans.”
He added, “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.”
After leaving PSG, Messi was approached by a Saudi league club, but he chose to sign with Miami, where he led the team to a League Cup title and sent ticket prices skyrocketing.