The match has been called the "final dance" of a decades-long showdown between two football legends: Cristiano Ronaldo's El Nasr against Lionel Messi's Inter Miami.
On Wednesday we learned that Ronaldo's injury will prevent him from playing for Thursday's tournament at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. But even without those two players on the pitch, the friendly marked a new and very different chapter in the matchup. This match will focus more on their respective league levels rather than just the confrontation between the two.
This match is a far cry from the previous classic competitions and UEFA Champions League knockout battles of the 20th and 21st centuries. Their greatness has always been compared to each other – Ronaldo's power versus Messi's skill, and the Portuguese superstar against the introverted Argentine playmaker. Even the cultural differences between Real Madrid and Barcelona are a factor.
Each of them scored hundreds of goals – in the end, Messi scored 496 goals in 578 appearances for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and Ronaldo scored 495 goals in 626 appearances for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus in Europe's top five leagues – and won multiple La Liga, Champions League and Ballon d'Or between them.
The debate over which player is greater has become a living entity in its own right. The debate is mostly taking place on ** and the internet, but it is occasionally acknowledged by the two stars. They must have known early on how far they were being compared to each other.
These are two top personalities who have influenced an entire era, I think in the last 15 or 18 years," said Miami International head coach Tata Martino.
For some, the debate over which player ranked higher in the hall of the greatest players of all time came to an end in December 2022, when Messi won an award that has never been won by either of them: the World Cup. Just a month later, in Riyadh, Messi's Paris Saint-Germain met the All-Stars of the Saudi Pro League and his new superstar Ronaldo, who had just joined El Nasr. Messi scored once, Ronaldo scored twice, and Paris Saint-Germain beat Riyadh 5-4 in the Season Cup.
Now, just like Ronaldo, Messi has also become the face of a league outside the European spotlight. Both Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League are undoubtedly looking forward to and relying on the international celebrity effects of Messi and Ronaldo to boost the profile of their respective leagues, especially at a time when both leagues aspire to and claim a growing presence in the global football hierarchy. This is proven in this type of international tour. Like Messi, they are on a 25,000-mile preseason tour that takes them to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan. And after Ronaldo's injury, El Nasr canceled the friendly match in China.
Obviously, they have made great progress in two leagues, the MLS and the Saudi league," Martino said. "World-renowned figures have joined both leagues. It is clear that today, Leon's presence in the United States and Ronaldo's presence here certainly attract global attention. However, I think Europe is still Europe and the big leagues are still big leagues. Obviously, MLS and the Saudi league could make important progress – I don't know about the Saudi league and I believe MLS will continue to evolve – but the other thing is the history of football, and it's very difficult to close the gap in the face of that. ”
Since Ronaldo's arrival in January 2023, the Saudi league has seen tremendous growth. The ensuing summer transfer window saw an influx of transfers featuring big money and big names.
According to Deloitte, a record of 9The record of $5.7 billion has attracted Neymar, Benzema, Malcom, Otavio, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fabinho, Milik, Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly and others to join the Saudi league. In Miami, Messi was joined by Barcelona's Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and now Suarez.
The massive influx of money into the transfer market has led some to wonder what kind of impact the Saudi league might have on the global football hierarchy right now. Although Jordan Henderson's high-profile return to Europe from Saudi Arabia and reports of other players being disgruntled brought some caution to the story, the fact that money was invested on a large scale has greatly increased the profile of the Saudi Pro League.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo is well aware that nothing he does on the pitch – whether in his second spell at United or now at El Nasr – is more than a simple part of his story. Ronaldo and Messi are fighting for the status of one of the greatest players they have ever stood on the football pitch. In the two relatively marginal football worlds of Saudi Arabia and the United States, they have no place to hide. Their successes and failures in Saudi Arabia and the United States will come under scrutiny.
As Josh Robinson and Jonathan Clegg describe in the book Messi vs. Ronaldo, Ronaldo has gone over too far to document his achievements. Not only did he open a museum dedicated to his illustrious career, which showcased all of his individual awards throughout his career, as well as full-size replicas of team trophies, but he also "documented his accomplishments on the go." Robinson and Clegg wrote, "For Ronaldo, heritage is a tangible thing to touch, photograph, and polish. "Even now, he tries to make sure that his goals in the Saudi league are as important as those in any other place.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Ronaldo has strong support for the growth of the league he is now playing in. Just a few weeks ago, at the World Football Awards in Dubai, a blue backdrop swirled behind him and Ronaldo pursed his lower lip.
The current level? He asked, repeating a question from presenter Amanda Davies at the World Football Awards ceremony on January 19. "Honestly, I don't think the Saudi league is worse than the French league, in my opinion," Ronaldo said. "In the French league you have two or three teams of good quality. And now the Saudi league, I think it's more competitive. They can say anything, that's just my opinion, I played there for a year, so I know what I'm talking about, but I think now we're better than the French league, so we're still improving. ”
Ronaldo's bold remarks made headlines in the football world in the latest performance of his role as an ambassador for the Saudi Pro League since joining Al Nasr in December 2022. Similarly, a few days after Messi joined Inter Miami, Ronaldo declared that the Saudi league was better than MLS. (Last January, Group 21's league standings showed that wasn't true.) ）
In many ways, these claims feel more like protecting his own legacy than just anything else. That evening in Dubai, Ronaldo will talk about his 2023 goal record – his 54 goals are the most in the world – and that he holds the lead against Erling "The Young Lion" Haaland.
In many other ways, Ronaldo and Messi are at opposite extremes when it comes to defending the league they play for. Messi's legacy is undoubtedly safer now, especially in that thrilling match at the World Cup final in Doha and the moment when he lifted the last golden trophy. That win allowed him to enjoy football more freely in the final years of his career without having to deal with too much pressure of "what does it all mean". At his first press conference with Inter Miami in August, Messi was reluctant to accept the responsibility of being the best man in any form for the development of American football. "Honestly, I don't think [to do it] [to make the game grow)," Messi said. 'I'm here to play and continue to enjoy football, it's something I've loved all my life. Ronaldo, on the other hand, made headlines for his enthusiastic support for the new league, and a December interview with Messi's Star+ in Argentina became a sensation. In the interview, Messi said that he knew he was moving to a "lower league" when he left Europe for the United States. This is an obvious answer; Even the staunchest supporters of MLS won't claim that it has caught up with the top European leagues. However, because Messi said this, it was transformed into a headline. Messi's arrival has given MLS a completely different level of scrutiny, as has Ronaldo's influence in Saudi Arabia. They bring a completely different level of attention to their respective leagues. However, Messi seems to understand that his presence itself is enough to move the league forward. The sold-out stadiums around MLS, the increase in MLS season ticket sales on Apple TV, and the record for jersey sales all point to Messi's influence in the first months of MLS. In executive and ownership circles within MLS, discussions are already underway behind the scenes about how best to move the league forward, not just because Messi is here, but also the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, is just around the corner on the horizon. This league may not see the massive player turnover we see in Saudi Arabia due to the salary cap, but the league has a chance to take a significant step. "I like MLS a lot, I think it's always trying to improve, but part of it is about letting go of some rules so that it can compete in the world," Martino said. "If you don't, it's a little bit complicated when you have the desire to compete for the Concacaf Champions Cup, or when you end up playing in the Club World Cup. Messi's arrival has accelerated discussions about what these changes might look like. His presence in Miami has brought a new focus to MLS, and this opportunity for an international tour only strengthens that. MLS stakeholders must now determine how to keep Messi's fans when he is no longer playing. While Thursday's friendly won't necessarily be the yardstick by which the status of the two leagues will be judged today, it will undoubtedly drive comparisons between the two leagues. **10,000 Fans Incentive Plan