Stunning Inter Miami move could see rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi become teammates

Ronaldo is out of contract at Al Nassr this summer, meaning he is free to leave the Saudi Pro League club at the end of the season.

No extension with the Saudi club has been finalised and his deal continues to run down.

talkSPORT understands the 40-year-old could leave to sign for a Club World Cup team and then return to the Saudi Pro League.

There is an expectation that he will re-sign with Al Nassr, but there is a scenario where he pens a short term deal with a Club World Cup team first.

He then ends that contract and still goes back to Saudi Arabia and Al Nassr. So we might see a scenario where he’s in the tournament.

Lionel Messi will be at the blockbuster revamped Club World Cup later this summer, which runs from June 15 to July 13, as Inter Miami have qualified.

While there is an assumption this would be to renew his rivalry with Messi playing for another team, they could in fact end up as teammates.

Inter Miami are open to making the pair teammates, though nothing is advanced. Ronaldo is waiting to see if anything materialises before making a decision on his future.

It would be a remarkable turn of events if the two greatest players of their generation become teammates for the first time.

The pair dominated the Ballon d’Or as the oversaw a decade long dominance as the award went back and forth between them.

They shared the pitch as fierce rivals for Real Madrid and Barcelona when they were both at their absolute peak.

The two went their separate ways with Ronaldo heading to Juventus, Manchester United, before going on to the Saudi Pro League at Al Nassr.

His sights are firmly set on 1,000 career goals, notching up his 929th during Portugal’s Nations League win over Denmark last weekend.

Messi, meanwhile, went to Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Barcelona before heading to David Beckham’s MLS franchise Inter Miami.

They have not shared the pitch since January 2023 when they played in an exhibition match between PSG and a Riyadh All-Star XI containing Ronaldo.

The pair have faced each other 36 times across their glittering careers, with Messi leading with 16 wins to Ronaldo’s 11 – and a further nine draws.

Now, the Club World Cup could be where they turn their intense rivalry into a completely new chapter.

The event is being held across the United States, with games being played in 12 different cities and stadiums.

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There will be 32 teams playing, which will be split into eight groups of four. Four teams from Africa, four teams from Asia and four teams from North and Central America make up 12 of the sides involved.  Another six will come from South America, one team come from Oceania and one team will also come from the host country which is the USA.

The biggest chunk of teams will come from Europe, with 12 taking part.  A total of £775m in prize money will be split across the 32 teams taking part, with the winning banking £96.9m.

Club World Cup teams Group A: Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami Group B: Paris St-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica Group D: Flamengo, Esperance Sportive de Tunisie, Chelsea, Club Leon Group E: River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, Inter Milan Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, JuventusGroup H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg

Originally published as Stunning Inter Miami move could see rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi become teammates