Saudi spree just the start of long game

LONDON — A seismic year for soccer in Saudi Arabia witnessed the turbo-charging of its domestic league with expensive foreign superstars, an audacious bid to host the 2034 World Cup and the staging of FIFA's intercontinental club tournament.

And 2024 will only be a few weeks old before Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo renew their iconic rivalry in Riyadh.

Argentina's World Cup-winning talisman Messi did not join the exodus to Saudi Arabia's Pro League (SPL) last year, but his Inter Miami team will face Al-Nassr, Ronaldo's club, in the so-called Riyadh Season Cup on Feb 1.