Inter Miami declared on November 21 that it will participate in the Riyadh Season Cup. Inter Miami verified this on Monday. Inter Miami claimed at the time that the reports were false.

On January 29, Inter Miami will take on Al-Hilal, then on February 1, Ronaldo’s squad, Al Nassr. Ronaldo is the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer, and those two teams are in first place.

“These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season,” Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said. “We’re excited for our group to get the chance to go up against teams with as much quality as Al-Hilal and Al Nassr.”

According to Inter Miami, Messi and Ronaldo have faced off 35 times between club and national matches. Messi’s teams have won 16 of those encounters, while Ronaldo’s teams have won 10. The other nine times, the teams have settled for a draw. In those games, Messi has twenty goals and one assist, while Ronaldo has twenty goals and one assist.

Messi has advocated for travel to Saudi Arabia; in May, his previous team, Paris Saint-Germain, suspended him for visiting the nation without permission. He also participated in the Riyadh Season Cup this year as PSG was the visiting team.

Amidst claims of sportswashing, Saudi Arabia has signed some of the biggest names in the game in an attempt to establish itself as a major force in international soccer. Nevertheless, when Messi left PSG at the end of the previous season to join Major League Soccer, it was unable to entice him to the oil-rich nation.

During their prime years at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, Messi and Ronaldo—widely regarded as two of the best players of all time—competed against each other for soccer’s greatest awards.

As of right now, Inter Miami has confirmed four preseason games: on January 19 against the El Salvador national team, and on February 4 against a group of elite players in Hong Kong. It is anticipated that the MLS schedule will start in late February.