Al Nassr defeated Inter Miami 6-0 after Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to withdraw from a highly anticipated match against Lionel Messi, who was confined to a late substitute appearance.
Al Nassr defeated Inter Miami 6-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo missing a much-anticipated match against Lionel Messi, who appeared as a late substitute in Thursday’s friendly in Riyadh due to injury. Ronaldo’s calf injury forced Al Nassr to cancel their two-game China tour last week, denying him what could have been his final encounter against longtime nemesis Messi. The pair have won a total of 13 Ballon d’Or awards, with Messi winning for the unprecedented eighth time last year. Their most recent meeting occurred in January 2023, when Ronaldo played for a Saudi select side that was defeated 5-4 by Messi’s PSG.
Instead, when the Saudi Pro League team destroyed their Major League Soccer opponents, Talisca, a Brazilian, stole the show with a hat-trick. The Saudi team scored three goals in the first twelve minutes.
— CristianoXtra (@CristianoXtra_) February 1, 2024
As Miami lost possession of the ball while attempting to play out from the back, Otavio scored the first goal, prompting Ronaldo to stand up and cheer from the stands.
Once more, the visitors suffered the consequences of giving up possession close to their own box when Talisca slid in to score Al Nassr’s second.
The goal of the game came from a long-range free kick that Aymeric Laporte scored from well within his own half, beating Miami goalie Drake Callender off his line.
Ahead of halftime, Mohammed Maran headed in a header to add to Miami’s misery, and Talisca scored his second goal from the penalty spot.
— Underground Guy (@Undergroundguyx) February 1, 2024
The disparity in skill was evident even with the participation of former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba; the American team was obviously fatigued from their extensive preseason trip.
After Talisca finished his treble and gave Ronaldo his trademark celebration, Messi, whose team was behind by six goals, trotted on for the final seven minutes.
Miami is traveling to Asia for games in Hong Kong and Japan as they continue to get ready for the next Major League Soccer (MLS) season, which begins on February 21.
Before departing for the Middle East, they played FC Dallas, an MLS team, and El Salvador.
