Why is Ronaldo not playing Al Nassr vs. Inter Miami

Football fans were looking forward to seeing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face each other in a friendly match between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami. However, the Al-Nassr coach announced that Ronaldo was not fit to play due to an injury.

“We will not see [Messi vs Ronaldo], Ronaldo is in the final part of his recovery to join the group. We hope that in the next few days, you can start working with the team. He will be absent from the game,” Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro said.

This news dashed the hopes of many fans who wanted to witness the final showdown between the two legends, who have dominated the world of football for more than a decade. Ronaldo and Messi have won 11 Ballon d’Or awards between them, and have scored over 1,500 goals combined.

Messi’s Inter Miami had a disappointing result in their previous friendly match against Al Hilal, another Saudi team. They lost 4-3 on Monday, despite goals from Messi and Luis Suarez. Al Hilal scored three goals in the first half, thanks to Mitrovic, Al-Hamdan, and Michael. Inter Miami fought back in the second half, with goals from Messi and Ruiz. However, Malcom scored a late header in the 88th minute to seal the win for Al Hilal.

The friendly match against Al-Nassr was part of Inter Miami’s pre-season tour before the start of the MLS season. The match was expected to attract a lot of attention, as it would have been the first time Ronaldo and Messi played against each other since they left Europe. Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in 2023, after a successful spell at Juventus. Messi joined Inter Miami in 2022, after leaving Barcelona.

The match would have also been a chance for the fans to see some of the other stars in both teams, such as Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain, Blaise Matuidi, and Nani. However, without Ronaldo, the match lost some of its appeal and excitement.

It is not clear when Ronaldo will recover from his injury and return to action. Fans will have to wait and see if he and Messi will ever meet again on the pitch, or if their rivalry will remain in the history books.

Also Read: 15 Astounding Facts About Cristiano Ronaldo You Need to Know