MLS

Inter Miami will indeed play a preseason match against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr FC on Feb. 1 in Saudi Arabia, the club announced on Monday.

Lionel Messi's side will also face Al-Hilal on Jan. 29.

"This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans," Inter Miami chief business officer Xavier Asensi said in a statement. "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."

Inter Miami's inclusion in the Riyadh Season Cup will be its first international tour, though back in November the club denied its participation.

Football fans will be thrilled to see Messi and Ronaldo, one of the truly great rivalries in the history of the sport while Messi was at Barcelona and his counterpart was at Real Madrid, play out at least one final time.

The two have gone head-to-head 35 times, with Messi holding a 16-10-9 record in those contests. Messi scored 21 goals and 12 assists in the head-to-head showdowns, while Ronaldo put up 20 goals and an assist.

But it will also be a chance for an Inter Miami team that was reborn after Messi's arrival to sharpen its skills against solid competition.

"These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season," Inter Miami's chief soccer officer and sporting director, Chris Henderson, said in the club's statement. "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."

Inter Miami is reportedly set to sign Messi's former attacking partner at Barcelona, striker Luis Suárez. Now, the duo may have the chance to go toe-to-toe with Ronaldo one last time.

MLS commissioner Don Garber said that the 2023 season was a "transformational year," and he believes that Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami was a key factor in that.

During the annual State of the League address on Friday, Garber noted the MLS' media partnership with Apple and record attendance as a few of the feats that the league achieved in 2023.

Per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, Garber didn't sugarcoat the impact that Messi's arrival had on the league.

"The magnitude of his decision to join MLS cannot be overstated." Garber said. "He's playing in our league. We're now just not part of the global conversation of sports, but one of the biggest stories in the world and certainly one of the biggest stories this summer.

"The eyes of the world are now on Major League Soccer because the best player to ever play the game is here and he's succeeding."

Messi joined Inter Miami in July and brought a new wave of excitement to the MLS. The league saw a record for total attendance at almost 11 million and record highs for digital and social media engagement and merchandise sales. There were also multiple games over the course of the season that drew over 1 million viewers.

Inter Miami announced last week that the club had already sold out its season tickets for the 2024 campaign. Messi will be with the squad through the 2025 season at least, with his contract worth just over $20.4 million in total compensation.

Messi and Inter Miami are gearing up for their first full season together, and the Messi effect is sure to continue making Garber and the rest of the league very happy.

Inter Miami is on the verge of signing another one of Lionel Messi's former FC Barcelona teammates.

The Athletic's David Ornstein, Felipe Cárdenas and Tom Bogert reported Tuesday the club is finalizing an agreement on a one-year contract with Luis Suárez.

"Nothing is completely sorted on what designation Suarez will hit the cap at, sources say," the report read. "The league will discuss potential roster rule changes this winter."

Miami has spared no expense toward surrounding Messi with his preferred supporting cast. Sergio Busquets was signed in tandem with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, and Jordi Alba arrived in short order.

It didn't take long for fans to theorize Suárez would be the next to make the move to South Florida. ESPN reported in November he had an agreement with the club in place.

Given his age (36), it's obviously fair to wonder how much the Uruguayan has left in the tank. His prolific return to South America offers strong evidence in his defense.

Suárez had six goals in 12 appearances with Nacional, who won the 2022 Uruguayan Primera División title. After signing with Grêmio, he had 15 goals and 11 assists in 32 matches.

"In certain games, it seemed like he was from a different planet," Brazilian journalist Leonardo Oliveira said to Jack Lang of The Athletic. "It was like watching an alien play with humans."

Unlike Messi, Busquets and Alba, Suárez will also benefit from having a full offseason to rest up and get acquainted with his new club. The 2023 season was already well underway when the other three entered the fold, making the transition to MLS less than seamless.

Together, they were unable to change the trajectory of Inter Miami's campaign. The team finished 14th in the Eastern Conference and nine points out of a playoff spot.

Given the extent to which Miami is loading up, anything short of an MLS Cup appearance might be considered a disappointment in 2024.

Messi mania came to the United States in 2023, and Time Magazine recognized its impact.

Time named Lionel Messi its 2023 Athlete of the Year on Tuesday. After the soccer superstar led Argentina to a World Cup title in 2022 and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in the sport's history, he joined the MLS' Inter Miami CF this year and captivated a new country of soccer fans with his dazzling style of play.

This is just the latest recognition for the 36-year-old, who also took home his eighth Ballon d'Or this year. The coveted award is annually presented to the world's top player.

Where Messi would end up after he finished the 2022-23 club season with Paris St.-Germain was one of the biggest sports stories of the year across the world. While he is no longer a young player, he still finished with 21 goals and 20 assists across all competitions for PSG and proved he can compete with the world's best.

As Time's writeup explained, the decision largely came down to a return to Barcelona, a spot in the Saudi Arabia league that signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, among other stars, or with Inter Miami in the MLS.

"The truth is that fortunately, I had several options on the table that were interesting, and I had to analyze them and think, even weigh them up with my family, before making the final decision to come to Miami," Messi said.

He wasn't the first international superstar to join the league, as others such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Gareth Bale had done the same in the past.

But he was the most notable one, and he did so just months after shining on the sport's biggest stage as a World Cup champion.

Inter Miami games suddenly became appointment viewing as celebrities and fellow athletes joined the crowds. And Messi delivered by leading the team to a Leagues Cup title with 10 goals in seven games.

He scored in regulation and then buried his attempt in extra-time penalty kicks when Inter Miami defeated Nashville in the Leagues Cup final. He stunned crowds with his footwork, precise passes and ability to finish opportunities around the net. And he infused an energy into MLS and soccer fandom across the United States as a whole.

Messi was sidelined at times down the stretch of the MLS season, and Inter Miami—which struggled before he arrived—did not make the playoffs. However, he will be there for an entire season in 2024 and won't have to worry about integrating himself into a new team with a different style of play.

Anything less than a deep postseason run would be a surprise, and he will surely have the attention of the soccer world as it unfolds.

The 2023 MLS regular season ended two weeks ago. Inter Miami have already sold out of season tickets for the 2024 campaign.

The club announced Thursday that single-match tickets will still be made available once the schedule for next season is announced, but season-ticket packages are no longer available.

No surprises there—Lionel Messi made Inter Miami the hottest draw in MLS, even after the club nearly doubled their prices for next season.

Messi brought along his old Barcelona pals, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and the 2022 World Cup champion helped lead Inter Miami to a Leagues Cup title. Messi was superb in that competition, scoring 10 goals and adding an assist in seven matches.

He couldn't lead the team into playoff contention, however, as Inter Miami had dug too deep a hole before his arrival. But expectations are sky-high for the 2024 campaign.

And another former teammate, star striker Luis Suárez, is expected to join the club for next season, giving them even more firepower. Suddenly, Miami is the epicenter of the MLS universe.

Messi is easily the biggest star to ever play in the competition. Other big names have graced the league, such as Inter Miami's current president and co-owner, David Beckham, along with Carlos Valderrama, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Steven Gerrard.

But Messi is the G.O.A.T. and was coming off a World Cup triumph with Argentina. His arrival was Michael Jordan playing in the EuroLeague, or Tom Brady in the CFL. And even at 36 years of age he wasn't past his prime and was immediately the best player in MLS by a wide margin.

So yes, people want to see the Argentine magician do his thing. It's no surprise that demand for tickets is high—there may not be many chances left to see Messi on a soccer pitch.

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.

Major League Soccer has suspended Philadelphia Union defender Kai Wagner three games for violating the league's on-field antidiscrimination policy following an investigation into racial abuse allegations, the league announced Tuesday.

"In reaching this decision, MLS considered many factors, including Wagner's immediate acceptance of responsibility for the violation, willingness to participate in a restorative practices process to repair the harm caused, and his cooperation with the league's investigation," MLS said in a statement.

Wagner, who is from Germany, is alleged to have said a word in German toward New England Revolution defender Bobby Wood that is considered to be racist toward Asians during a playoff match between the two sides on Oct. 28.

Wood, who has Japanese and African American ancestry, played in Germany at the youth and professional level for 14 years, so he understood what Wagner was alleged to have said.

Wagner's remarks allegedly came in the 86th minute after Revolution forward Giacomo Vrioni fouled Union defender Nathan Harriel. Multiple players got into a confrontation after the foul, and Wood and Wagner were seen arguing with each other.

Wagner will miss Wednesday's playoff match against the Revolution and would also miss the third game of the series on Sunday if that game is necessary. If the Union are eliminated from the playoffs before the third game of Wagner's suspension, he would serve the final game at the beginning of next season.

The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract with the Union and could depart the club as a free agent after the season. Through five seasons in Philadelphia, Wagner has earned two All-Star selections and was named to the MLS Best XI in 2022.

For all intents and purposes, the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is effectively over now that they're in the twilight of their playing careers and stationed on different continents.

But the long-running battle hasn't subsided entirely.

Eagle-eyed fans made note of Ronaldo's reaction to an Instagram post questioning the legitimacy of Messi's Ballon d'Or win Monday, his eighth all time.

To be fair, Ronaldo wasn't the only person questioning whether Messi was the most deserving candidate in the Ballon d'Or field.

The 36-year-old helped Argentina win its third World Cup and was the Golden Ball winner in the process. His form in the second half of the season with Paris Saint-Germain was unremarkable, however, and moving to Major League Soccer was a step down in his quality of opposition.

Erling Haaland, who was the best striker in the world en route to helping Manchester City win a treble, was perhaps a more worthy contender.

Of course, it's worth noting that retroactively reducing Messi's Ballon d'Or trophies to five would put him level with Ronaldo. They'd share the record rather than the Inter Miami star sitting alone and setting a mark that will stand for the foreseeable future.

That fact won't have been lost on Ronaldo.

It's doubtful the two icons will ever face off in a competitive fixture again. Maybe fans can at least look forward to years them taking subtle digs at one another, though, to keep the competitive dynamic alive and well.

Lionel Messi is a Ballon d'Or winner for the eighth time, extending his record tally for the most coveted individual honor in world soccer.

The Inter Miami star finished ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé in the balloting.

Even fellow contender Jude Bellingham offered his support for the superstar after winning the Kopa Trophy.

"It's World Cup year and Lionel Messi had a fantastic World Cup, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or," Bellingham said.

Messi's candidacy was propelled largely by Argentina's triumph in the 2022 World Cup. He had seven goals and three assists to earn the Golden Ball as La Albiceleste were world champions for a third time.

That was the crowning achievement in a legendary career, one that allowed him to carve out his own legacy with the national team and move past the longtime comparisons to Diego Maradona. Constantly being measured against Maradona created what was an occasionally fraught dynamic between himself and his compatriots.

Many will question whether Messi was the most deserving contender in the field, though.

His form tailed off in the second half of the 2022-23 season with Paris Saint-Germain, and thanks to a round-of-16 exit in the Champions League, the campaign was widely considered a disappointment for the French side despite winning Ligue 1. Messi was among those singled out by disgruntled supporters for what they considered to be wider issues within PSG.

While the 36-year-old looked rejuvenated after signing with Inter Miami, winning the Leagues Cup and finishing runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup typically aren't the kind of accolades that headline a Ballon d'Or résumé.

Haaland was perhaps the most logical alternative to Messi.

The Norwegian striker had 36 goals in the Premier League in 2022-23 along with 12 in the Champions League, and he's just as prolific to get the 2023-24 season underway. He has 13 goals between the two competitions so far.

Thanks in part to Haaland's efforts, Manchester City became the first English club since rival Manchester United in 1998-99 to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same year.

In most years, all of that together would be more than enough to catapult a player to the Ballon d'Or.

The 23-year-old's time will likely come sooner or later, and the same can be said of Mbappé and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.

For more than a decade, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo maintained an almost total duopoly for the Ballon d'Or. Ronaldo was the first to win in 2008, and either he or Messi came out on top in all but two of the next 14 years. Luka Modrić (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) were the exceptions.

That run will probably come to an end for good in 2024. Once it does, the trio of Haaland, Mbappé and Bellingham are all poised to become perennial challengers.

MLS announced its three Most Valuable Player finalists for the 2023 season on Thursday.

Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada, Los Angeles FC forward Dénis Bouanga and FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta are the last three standing in the race for the coveted award.

Almada finished as the league leader in assists (19) and added 11 goals. He helped to power one of the most effective attacks as Atlanta's 66 team goals were second only to the Columbus Crew.

The club set an MLS record that still stands when it sold Miguel Almirón to Newcastle in 2019 for $27 million. Should Almada pursue a new opportunity in Europe, he promises to net Atlanta United a significant windfall, one that could surpass the Almirón deal.

Bouanga, who signed with LAFC in August 2022, made the most of his first full season in the United States. He claimed the MLS Golden Boot for 2023 after scoring a league-high 20 goals. Per FBref, his 0.71 goals per 90 minutes were his best ever in a domestic league season.

Acosta, who was listed in the MLS Best XI in 2018 and 2022, is arguably the MVP favorite, though. The 29-year-old had more goal contributions (31) than any other player between his 17 goals and 14 assists.

In April, Cincinnati sold forward Brenner Souza da Silva to Udinese in Serie A for a club-record fee. That could've been a tough blow considering Brenner's 18 goals were tied for the team lead in 2022.

Instead, FC Cincinnati was the Supporters' Shield winner after earning 69 points, and a lot of that was down to the performance of Acosta. He was brilliant from start to finish in the regular season.

As expected, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi missed the cut despite making his presence immediately felt in the U.S. He may have helped the club win the Leagues Cup and finish runner-up in the U.S. Open Cup, but he only logged six appearances in MLS games with one goal and two assists.

That didn't stop Messi from earning an MVP nomination.