Early on Friday morning, pictures of the Inter Miami team landing in Riyadh for their pre-season games surfaced on social media. The players also shared a brief video of themselves being greeted at King Khalid International Airport with flowers and Arabic coffee. Lionel Messi was also seen with the team. Before the famed ‘Last Dance match’ against Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr team, the Royals will play Saudi Pro League‘s top side Al-Hilal. Some glimpses of the team practice were shared – hinting full strength squad is available for the first match on the tour against Al-Hilal. We can expect Lionel Messi to be in the team for Al-Hilal’s 2024 Riyadh Season Cup opening round match against Inter Miami at the Kingdom Arena on Monday. Lionel Messi Signs Fan's Argentina Jersey in Middle of Traffic, Video Goes Viral.

With this match, fans can watch another former Barcelona star- Neymar sharing the field with Lionel Messi and co., but in a different jersey. Neymar’s availability is questionable though as he is recovering from an injury and might not play in the match. But still lethal on the attack, the Blue Waves have had an outstanding season thus far, going 20-0 since August 2023. But they haven’t played since December while the league takes a winter vacation.

Will Lionel Messi Play Tonight in the Al-Hilal vs Inter Miami Football Friendly Match?

After a poor season finale, Inter Miami is getting ready for the upcoming one. But their preseason campaign hasn’t gone as expected. Before falling 1-0 to Dallas on Tuesday, and a goalless draw against El Salvador. Lionel Messi didn’t play for 90 minutes in any of those matches but is expected to feature in the starting 11 for the upcoming Inter Miami vs Al-Hilal match. The game would be their next test to fine-tune their ‘new’ formations since the arrival of Luis Suarez. Lionel Messi to Make Super Bowl Debut, Set to Appear in Michelob Ultra Advertisement.

On the contrary, Al-Hilal have been unbeaten in their last 28 games in all competitions dating back to mid-August, and they are now riding an incredible 20-game winning streak. Given that the match will take place in Saudi Arabia, the Blue Waves will be hoping for a victory.

After Monday’s match, the two clubs will play Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, on Thursday. The game between Miami and Al-Nassr is titled “The Last Dance,” a reference to the long-standing rivalry involving Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Then, the Royals are going to play in the regular season while the Herons will begin their MLS preseason campaign in Asia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 29, 2024 09:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).