Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo may face off in Riyadh Season Cup — Should fans brace for clash of titans?

Lionel Messi would face Cristiano Ronaldo in the game as Turki Alalshikh, the owner of La Liga team Almeria and Chairman of the General Authority for Entertainment for the Saudi Government, announced on Twitter today that Inter Miami FC will be playing Al-Nassr FC in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia, football fans became quite enthusiastic.

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.

Even a flyer featuring the two teams' official symbols was included in the tweet. After word of the purported friendly match went viral, Inter Miami issued a statement that has since been taken down. 

Inter Miami called the reports "inaccurate" and refuted them, according to ESPN. An announcement was made earlier today confirming Inter Miami CF's participation in the Riyadh Season Cup. This is not correct," it said.

“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.”

Nevertheless, ESPN's reference to the page on Inter Miami's website has been taken off. The first tweet remains active.

The last time they faced off was on January 19, 2023, in Riyadh, in the same competition, according to ESPN. Following Ronaldo's unexpected transfer to Al Nassr, Messi faced up against the player from his previous squad, PSG. PSG prevailed 5–4.