Inter Miami Denies Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo 'Last Dance' Game Is Scheduled

Inter Miami denied it has agreed to compete in the Riyadh Season Cup, which would've potentially pitted Lionel Messi against Al-Nassr and star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The club called Tuesday's announcement about its participation "inaccurate" and added team managing owner Jorge Mas "has made no comments, publicly or privately, in relation to the preseason tour."

Earlier in the day, Inter Miami vs. Al-Nassr was promoted as part of the Riyadh Season Cup and billed "The Last Dance" between Messi and Ronaldo.

The pair most recently faced off this past January, when Paris Saint-Germain beat a Riyadh All-Stars XI squad 5-4 in Saudi Arabia.

Many thought that would be the last time Messi and Ronaldo shared a pitch since they're spending the twilight of their careers on different continents. Based on Inter Miami's statement, it still might be.

In a perfect scenario, Messi and Ronaldo would contest a farewell match of sorts in the FIFA World Cup or UEFA Champions League, stages befitting their status within the sport. The Riyadh Season Cup at least theoretically presented a finite conclusion to their long-running rivalry on the pitch.

For more than a decade, Messi and Ronaldo cast a wide shadow over world football. Ronaldo won the first of his five Ballon d'Or awards in 2008, and the pair of he and Messi went on to lift the trophy in 12 of the next 14 years.

Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid in 2009 also put them on opposite sides for one of Europe's biggest derbies for nine seasons.

Fans spent countless hours arguing which of the two is better, a debate that has probably come to an end thanks to Messi's record eight Ballons d'Or and Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph.

If it were to come together, one more friendly would undoubtedly be used to yet again put Messi and Ronaldo's legacies side by side.