Football's iconic duo, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, are set to meet in Saudi Arabia, probably for 'one last time'. Inter Miami on Monday, confirmed that it will take part in the Riyadh Season Cup — something that was announced by Saudi officials on November 21. Inter Miami said the reports at that time were inaccurate. (More Football News)
Inter Miami will play Al-Hilal on January 29 and Al Nassr — Ronaldo's team — on February 1. Those two clubs lead the Saudi Pro League and Ronaldo is that league's leading scorer.
Formerly of FC Barcelona and Manchester United and later Real Madrid, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have face each other 35 times between matches for club and country. In those meetings, Messi's teams have won 16 whereas Ronaldo's won 10 and the sides settling for a draw on the other nine occasions. Messi has 21 goals and 12 assists in those matches; Ronaldo has 20 goals and one assist.
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Lionel Messi, who won the FIFA World Cup 2022 with Argentina, was recently awarded the Ballon D'Or, his eight overall. Just like their predecessors - Pele, Diego Maradona, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho - Messi and his Portuguese counterpart have been two of the greatest players of all-time for the past decade or so in world football.
Back in 2019, the two shared the same stage at the UEFA Men's Player Of The Year. Back then, the Portuguese start was plying his trade with Italy's Juventus whereas Messi was still at Barcelona.
Asked if CR7 missed the rivalry with Messi since leaving Real Madrid for Juventus, Ronaldo said: "I was curious because we shared this stage for 15 years, me and him.
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"I don't know if that has ever happened in football, the same two guys on the stage at the same time, so it's not easy.
"Of course we have a good relationship, we have not had dinner together yet but I hope in the future."
Ahead of their iconic clash in Saudi Arabia, here are the meetings of the duo in football history -
| No. | Date | Competition | Home | Score | Away | Goals |
| 1 | 23-Apr-08 | Champions League | Barcelona | 0–0 | Manchester United | |
| 2 | 29-Apr-08 | Champions League | Manchester United | 1–0 | Barcelona | |
| 3 | 27-May-09 | Champions League | Barcelona | 2–0 | Manchester United | Messi (70') |
| 4 | 29-Nov-09 | Spanish Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 1–0 | Real Madrid | |
| 5 | 10-Apr-10 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 0–2 | Barcelona | Messi (33') |
| 6 | 29-Nov-10 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 5–0 | Real Madrid | |
| 7 | 09-Feb-11 | International friendly | Argentina | 2–1 | Portugal | Ronaldo (21'); Messi ( 90' p) |
| 8 | 16-Apr-11 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 1–1 | Barcelona | Messi ( 51' p); Ronaldo ( 81' p) |
| 9 | 20-Apr-11 | Copa del Rey | Real Madrid | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Barcelona | Ronaldo (103') |
| 10 | 27-Apr-11 | Champions League | Real Madrid | 0–2 | Barcelona | Messi (76', 87') |
| 11 | 03-May-11 | Champions League | Barcelona | 1–1 | Real Madrid | |
| 12 | 14-Aug-11 | Spanish Super Cup | Real Madrid | 2–2 | Barcelona | Messi (45+1') |
| 13 | 17-Aug-11 | Spanish Super Cup | Barcelona | 3–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (20'); Messi (53', 88') |
| 14 | 10-Dec-11 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 1–3 | Barcelona | |
| 15 | 18-Jan-12 | Copa del Rey | Real Madrid | 1–2 | Barcelona | Ronaldo (11') |
| 16 | 25-Jan-12 | Copa del Rey | Barcelona | 2–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (68') |
| 17 | 21-Apr-12 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 1–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (73') |
| 18 | 23-Aug-12 | Spanish Super Cup | Barcelona | 3–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (55'); Messi ( 70' p) |
| 19 | 29-Aug-12 | Spanish Super Cup | Real Madrid | 2–1 | Barcelona | Ronaldo (19'); Messi ( 45') |
| 20 | 07-Oct-12 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 2–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (23', 66'); Messi (31', 61') |
| 21 | 30-Jan-13 | Copa del Rey | Real Madrid | 1–1 | Barcelona | |
| 22 | 26-Feb-13 | Copa del Rey | Barcelona | 1–3 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (12' p, 57') |
| 23 | 02-Mar-13 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 2–1 | Barcelona | Messi (18') |
| 24 | 26-Oct-13 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 2–1 | Real Madrid | |
| 25 | 23-Mar-14 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 3–4 | Barcelona | Messi (42', 65' p, 84' p); Ronaldo (55' p) |
| 26 | 25-Oct-14 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 3–1 | Barcelona | Ronaldo (35' p) |
| 27 | 18-Nov-14 | International friendly | Argentina | 0–1 | Portugal | |
| 28 | 22-Mar-15 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 2–1 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (31') |
| 29 | 21-Nov-15 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 0–4 | Barcelona | |
| 30 | 02-Apr-16 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 1–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (85') |
| 31 | 03-Dec-16 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 1–1 | Real Madrid | |
| 32 | 23-Apr-17 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 2–3 | Barcelona | Messi (33', 90+2') |
| 33 | 13-Aug-17 | Spanish Super Cup | Barcelona | 1–3 | Real Madrid | Messi (77' p); Ronaldo (80') |
| 34 | 23-Dec-17 | Spanish La Liga | Real Madrid | 0–3 | Barcelona | Messi (64' p) |
| 35 | 06-May-18 | Spanish La Liga | Barcelona | 2–2 | Real Madrid | Ronaldo (14'); Messi (52') |
| 36 | 08-Dec-20 | Champions League | Barcelona | 0–3 | Juventus | Ronaldo (13' p, 52' p) |
| 37 | 19-Jan-23 | Club friendly | Riyadh XI | 4–5 | Paris Saint-Germain | Messi (3'); Ronaldo (34' p, 45+6') |
