Inter Miami has announced that they will play two matches in Saudi Arabia next year, one of which would put Lionel Messi against longtime adversary Cristiano Ronaldo for the final time.

On Monday, the MLS club announced their participation in the Riyadh Season Cup after previously denying an agreement to participate in an overseas event. Messi and co. will face Al-Hilal on Monday, January 29, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, before facing Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on February 1.

At the conclusion of the round-robin pre-season event, a trophy will be up for grabs. When the competition was first announced, it was nicknamed ‘The Last Dance,’ the final chapter in the historic rivalry between two of the greatest players of all time.

“This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans,” said Xavier Asensi, Inter Miami’s Chief Business Officer. 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.”

“These matches will provide important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season,” said sporting director Chris Henderson in a statement. We’re pleased for our team to have the opportunity to compete against teams of the caliber of Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.”

The MLS is not in season during the matches, thus it will be a warm-up for Inter Miami before league play begins in late February or March. Meanwhile, the Saudi Pro League clubs will be returning to action after a winter vacation.

Following Inter Miami’s initial refusal of the trip to Saudi Arabia, many supporters will be eager to see Messi and Ronaldo share a pitch. “An announcement was issued stating that Inter Miami CF is scheduled to play in the Riyadh Season Cup,” said Inter Miami last month. “This is incorrect. Statements attributed to team owner Jorge Mas were included in the release. Mas has made no public or private comments about the pre-season trip.”

With the match finally approved, Messi and Ronaldo will meet for the 36th time in their storied careers. The majority of those clashes occurred in La Liga, when Messi led Barcelona and Ronaldo led Real Madrid to victory.

The duo is presently nearing the end of their playing careers. Messi, 36, joined Inter Miami this summer and may stay there until he retires. After joining Al Nassr from Manchester United at the start of 2023, Ronaldo, 38, has settled nicely.

Outside of the Saudi Arabia competition, Inter Miami has announced further preseason stops. In January, they will battle against the El Salvador national team before traveling to Hong Kong for their first trip to Asia. Messi is anticipated to be ready throughout the club’s calendar after suffering several injuries over the previous year, including one while on international duty last month.

“I felt discomfort in my adductor,” Messi stated following a November victory against Brazil. “It was my last game of the year, so I have time to get well to start 2024 giving everything.”