MIAMI (December 11, 2023) – Inter Miami CF announced today that it will travel to Saudi Arabia during 2024 preseason to participate in the Riyadh Season Cup as part of the Club’s first-ever international tour. The team will play two matches in the country in a round-robin tournament format, taking on Saudi powerhouses Al-Hilal SFC and Al Nassr FC.
“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 Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer.
“These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season. We’re excited for our group to get the chance to go up against teams with as much quality as Al-Hilal and Al Nassr,” said Chris Henderson, Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director.
Inter Miami will first take on Al-Hilal at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Monday, Jan. 29 at 1 p.m. ET (9 p.m. Saudi Arabia Standard Time). The Saudi side is the most decorated in the history of Asia with 66 titles to its name and currently sits atop the table in league play. The team is coached by former Sporting CP player and manager Jorge Jesus, and boasts star players such as Neymar (who is unavailable through injury), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom.
Then, on Thursday, Feb. 1, the team will face Al Nassr at the Kingdom Arena at 1 p.m. ET (9 p.m. Saudi Arabia Standard Time). The match will pit Inter Miami star Lionel Messi against a familiar opponent in Cristiano Ronaldo, who stars for Al Nassr and is the Saudi Pro League’s leading goal scorer this season. The team, coached by Portuguese manager Luís Castro, currently sits second in the table behind Al-Hilal, and also features other stars like Sadio Mané and Aymeric Laporte.
Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 35 times in their careers, with Messi claiming 16 wins to 10 by Ronaldo, and nine draws between them. In those matches, Messi has tallied 21 goals and 12 assists, while Ronaldo has registered 20 goals and one assist.
Tickets for the matches can be reserved through the WeBook application here.
Further information on the matches, including broadcast details, will be announced at a later date. Additional 2024 preseason matches and destinations will be announced in the coming weeks; the Club has already announced a match against the El Salvador national team in January , as well as another leg of the international tour with a match in Hong Kong against the Hong Kong Team.
###
