Which college stars are skipping bowls?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will meet on the pitch once again during their illustrious careers.
And it’ll happen in Saudi Arabia early next year.
Messi’s Inter Miami will participate in two preseason matches during the Riyadh Season Cup, the team announced on Monday night.
Inter Miami will face Al-Hilal, which features stars like Neymar (who is recovering from knee surgery), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Rúben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Malcom, on Jan. 29.
Three days later, Messi’s Inter Miami and Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr will play on Feb. 1 in a matchup featuring two of the sport’s best players.
Inter Miami has been motivated to expand its brand on a global scale since Messi – the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion with Argentina – joined the MLS side this summer.
The matches, added to Inter Miami’s worldwide preseason tour, come ahead of Messi’s second season.
“This is another major opportunity to create lasting relationships with passionate fans. 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 CF Chief Business
Officer Xavier Asensi said in a statement.
“These matches will offer important tests for our team, which will benefit us as we approach the new season. 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’s Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson said in the same statement.
Inter Miami’s announcement Monday comes nearly three weeks after the club denied it would participate in the Riyadh Season Cup.
The Messi and Ronaldo matchup gives soccer fans around the world perhaps one last chance to debate who is the greatest player in the sport.
Messi, 36, and Ronaldo, 38, have 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them, with Messi recently winning his eighth award, the most of any player. Ronaldo is next in line with five Ballon d’Ors.
And a matchup between them at this stage of their careers would only feed into the never-ending debate among soccer fans as which player is the greatest.
The last time Messi and Ronaldo met was earlier this year, when Messi and Paris Saint-Germain edged Ronaldo and a team of Saudi all-stars 5-4. Both Messi and Ronaldo scored during the affair.
Inter Miami will play two other preseason matches internationally next year.
Inter Miami will face the El Salvador that broadcasts the playoff games. The bias has been called out by many fans, in the media and politicians — including Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP Sen. Rick Scott.
“As it stands, the committee’s decision reeks of partiality, so we are demanding answers — not only for FSU but for all schools, teams and fans of college football,” Moody said.
“In Florida, merit matters. If it’s attention they were looking for, the committee certainly has our attention now.”
DeSantis has recommended setting aside $1 million in his proposed budget in case of potential litigation on behalf of FSU.
Scott tweeted out support of Moody. “Good! For more than a week, the @CFBPlayoff Selection Committee has been hiding & evading my demands for transparency after excluding #FSU. I welcome @AGAshleyMoody’s efforts to force accountability.”
Moody demanded that the selection committee turn over all documents no later than Jan. 11, but as soon as Dec. 26.
The request asks for communications exchanged between the committee and the NCAA, ESPN and conferences and documents like vote sheets and details on things like financial guarantees.
Reach Ehsan Kassim at ekassim@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports), Instagram (tlhnolesports) and YouTube channel (NoleSportsTD).
Advice from a former Florida football coach
Appearing on the Buddy Martin show last week, former Florida football coach Urban Meyer was asked what advice he would offer to Napier. Meyer understands the pressure cooker of the UF job, having led the Gators to two national titles in 2006 and 2008 before resigning in 2010 due to health reasons.
“Billy Napier and his staff, is there pressure on him?” Meyer said on Martin’s show. “Hell yeah there is, but that comes with the job. I would not panic if I’m the coaching staff.”
Napier is paid handsomely to deal with the stress — he has $37.5 million left on the remaining five years of his contract. His vision is to stack talented recruiting classes on top of one another. But that won’t work if the most talented of his players, such as Etienne, decide to bail for the portal. Overall, half of Napier’s national team at the Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador on Jan. 19.
Inter Miami will also visit Hong Kong, where it will take on the Hong Kong Team – a collection of the best players from the Hong Kong First Division League on Feb. 4.
Messi and Inter Miami could have an action-packed year in 2024, filled with matches in their MLS regular season schedule and tournaments like the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup and MLS postseason (should Inter Miami qualify).
Messi also could continue playing with the Argentina national team during the 2024 Copa America tournament and other 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.
It’s college football bowl season – or in some cases, get ready for the NFL draft season.
With 40 bowl games taking place outside of the College Football Playoff and the national championship game, players not playing for a title and expecting to begin their NFL careers next season will skip out on their team’s final game of the season and prepare to make the jump to the professional level.
The decision to skip bowl games has become a hot trend since Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette opted out of their respective bowl games in 2016, as players prioritize their health to ensure they can be be high draft picks come spring.
Here’s a list of high-profile college football players that have decided to skip their team’s bowl game this season as they prepare for the 2024 NFL draft:
Caleb Williams, Southern California QB: The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner will not play in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley announced Dec. 4.
Even though it seems skipping out on the bowl game would mean leaving college, Williams, who is the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has not yet announced if he will enter the NFL Draft.
Drake Maye, North Carolina QB:
The North Carolina quarterback announced Monday he plans to skip the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against West Virginia on Dec. 27, and will be entering his name in the 2024 NFL draft.
The signal caller is being projected as the No. 2 pick in the draft and could overtake Williams as the top selection.
Chop Robinson, Penn State DE:
The USA TODAY Sports college football All-America team selection announced on social media he will skip Penn State’s Peach Bowl appearance against Ole Miss on Dec. 30.
Robinson could be a top 10 pick in next year’s draft.
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame QB:
hhhhfirst signing class in 2022 has entered the portal either last season or this season, including Etienne, four-star defensive back Kamari Wilson and four-star defensive lineman Chris McClellan.
“Florida fans have the right to be upset,” Meyer said. “They’re fans. Florida is an elite place. Ohio State fans are really upset they’re 11-1. Florida State fans are losing their mind because they’re not in the (College Football) Playoff. That’s what makes this great.
“I keep hearing about the process, the plan that he has. It’s got to at some point get going, but I would not panic if I’m him. I’d just keep grinding. Just keep your head down and do the very best you can.”
Restoring confidence in the UF football program
Napier would go a long way in restoring faith in the UF program if he can add some quality players in the transfer portal
Saudi Arabia and concerns about sportswashing.
Massive sports stars participating in Saudi-backed events and leagues is nothing new, and has raised concerns in recent years about sportswashing – using major sporting events and global superstars to erase a poor public image due to a long history of human rights violations.
The Saudis have been gaining a foothold in various sports. In soccer, the Saudi Pro League lured Ronaldo, Neymar and others with massive contracts clubs around the world could not match. Messi also received an offer reportedly close to $400 million per year from Al-Hilal before opting to join Inter Miami. Saudis also own the Premier League’s Newcastle United FC.
FIFA came under fire earlier this year for considering the Saudi tourist bureau as a sponsor for the 2023 World Cup. It also ensured there would be little to no competition for the Saudi bid for the 2034 World Cup. The Saudi-funded LIV golf tour made waves when it launched in 2021 and lured away major PGA Tour stars and caused strife in the golf world. It was so successful in its goal, the PGA Tour agreed to a merger earlier this year, though it has yet to be finalized.
Saudi Arabia has also invested in F1, major boxing matches such as Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, and is heavily involved in horse racing. The NBA has also hosted games in Abu Dhabi.
hThe Notre Dame quarterback announced on social media he will skip Notre Dame’s game in the Sun Bowl against Oregon State.
The Wake Forest transfer finishes his college career with 15,656 passing yards, 134 touchdowns and 49 interceptions.
Laiatu Latu, UCLA DE: The 2023 Lombardi Trophy winner will not play in the LA Bowl against Boise State, UCLA coach Chip Kelly announced Monday.
Latu was also named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and could be a top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Nate Wiggins, Clemson CB: Wiggins declared for the NFL draft on social media, and he will miss Clemson’s appearance in the Gator Bowl against Kentucky on Dec. 29.
Wiggins is projected to be a firstrounder in the draft.
Johnny Wilson, Florida State WR: Wilson told ESPN he will skip the Orange Bowl against Georgia as he is declaring for the 2024 NFL draft.
Wilson finishes his college career with 102 receptions for 1,757 yards and eight touchdowns.
hhhthis month. His process in the portal has been deliberate. It’s based on trying to get a thorough evaluation of the players that he’s bringing into the UF program. UF has added some impact players via the portal such as wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence in 2022 and quarterback Graham Mertz in 2023. But he’s had a harder time finding standouts on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackles Cam Jackson (Memphis) and Caleb Banks (Louisville) were adequate inside, but neither made a splash in 2023.
Four potential transfers — former Wisconsin wideout Chimere Dike, former Penn defensive lineman Joey Slackman, former Pitt defensive lineman DeAndre Jules and former Oregon defensive back Trikweze Bridges — reportedly visited UF over the weekend.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to get up off the ground, and I think we have to learn from failure,” Napier said.