No Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo clash as Al Nassr defeats Inter Miami 6-0

Thursday’s highly anticipated football match between Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr resulted in an unexpected 6-0 victory for Al Nassr, which was shocking for the spectators. The club-friendly match was held in the Kingdom Area in Riyadh. Messi was used as a late substitute appearance in the Riyadh Season Cup match, while Ronaldo watched from the stands due to an injury in the calf.

During the pre-game uncertainty, Miami first withdrew Lionel Messi from the roster on social media before correcting the lineup and placing him on the bench. The Riyadh fans were awaiting Messi’s arrival, but by the 83rd minute, Al Nassr had established a dominating advantage, with Brazilian Anderson Talisca scoring a hat trick and Aymeric Laporte scoring from his half. Lionel Messi only played for seven minutes. Talisca netted his second penalty to make it 4-0, and Mohammed Maran added Al-Nassr’s fifth with a header before Talisca finished the scoring.

The game was described as the final club clash between two legends

The game was described as the final club clash between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two legends who dominated European football for a decade. Ronaldo, a spectator owing to a calf ailment, saw Al Nassr’s attack. Messi and Ronaldo have faced off 36 times in their careers, with Messi’s side winning 16 and Ronaldo’s 11 times, in the nineties. Messi has 22 goals and 11 assists in these games, while Ronaldo has 21 goals and 1 assist.

As the Saudi Pro League takes a midseason break, Al Nassr, which had initially planned games in China, has moved its emphasis to Miami. Ronaldo, who apologised for the injury-related tour postponement, contributed to a spectacular encounter in Riyadh, leaving Inter Miami to prepare for their future preseason games.

Inter Miami will head to Hong Kong for their next match against Hong Kong XI. Al Nassar will face AL Hilal in another club-friendly match on 8th February.