{"id":302011,"date":"2023-12-12T16:00:19","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=302011"},"modified":"2023-12-12T16:00:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T16:00:19","slug":"lionel-messi-set-to-face-cristiano-ronaldo-one-last-time-after-fixture-confirmed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/soccer\/lionel-messi-set-to-face-cristiano-ronaldo-one-last-time-after-fixture-confirmed\/","title":{"rendered":"Lionel Messi set to face Cristiano Ronaldo one last time after fixture confirmed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will face each other on the field for potentially the final time when Inter Miami play Al-Nassr in a friendly staged in Saudi Arabia early next year.<\/p>\n

Messi and Ronaldo shared a rivalry for over a decade as they competed for the title of the best player in the world and repeatedly locked horns on the pitch in fierce clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid in El Classico. <\/p>\n

Between them, Messi and Ronaldo have won 13 Ballon d\u2019Or awards – with the Argentine leading eight to five. Messi\u2019s victory with Argentina at the Qatar World Cup also gave him the edge over his Portuguese counterpart.<\/p>\n

Messi and Ronaldo have since departed the elite level of the club game as they reached the end of their careers, with Messi now playing for Inter Miami in the United States and Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League after leaving Manchester United.<\/p>\n

Inter Miami announced that they will play two matches in Saudi Arabia early next year, as part of a three-team round-robin tournament called the Riyadh Season Cup in which they will play against Al-Hilal January 29 before facing Ronaldo\u2019s Al-Nassr on February 1.<\/p>\n

Messi received an offer to play in the Saudi Pro League after leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer – but opted to sign with Miami. Messi last faced Ronaldo on the pitch earlier this year when PSG played a friendly against a Saudi Pro League XI. <\/p>\n

Messi and Ronaldo\u2019s meeting comes after the Portuguese declared their rivalry \u201cover\u201d. Speaking in September, Ronaldo said he and Messi changed football but it was time for fans to stop the \u201chate\u201d of the other player.<\/p>\n

\u201cHatred? I don\u2019t see things like that, the rivalry is over,\u201d Ronaldo said. \u201cIt was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don\u2019t have to hate Messi and vice versa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that\u2019s the most important thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don\u2019t see the rivalry like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I\u2019m not saying we\u2019re friends, I\u2019ve never had dinner with him, but we\u2019re professional colleagues and we respect each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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