Cristiano Ronaldo v Lionel Messi rematch off as injury rules Portuguese forward out of Al Nassr game against Inter Miami
- Ronaldo dealing with muscle injury that forced cancellation of two games in China last week
- Messi and US side are playing second game in Saudi Arabia before heading to Hong Kong
A highly anticipated rematch between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is off, after the Portuguese forward was ruled out of his Al Nassr side’s game against Inter Miami on Thursday.
The Major League Soccer team, who Messi joined last year, are in Saudi Arabia as part of an expansive preseason tour that takes in stops in the Middle East, Hong Kong and Japan.
Having lost to Al Hilal in their first game in the desert Kingdom on Tuesday, Inter Miami will face Al Nassr before flying to Hong Kong ahead of a game against a city representative side on Sunday.
The clash between the two Ballon d’Or winners, regarded as the two best players of their generation, was expected to be the highlight of the US club’s trip to Asia.
But Luis Castro, the Saudi Pro League side’s manager, said Ronaldo had still not recovered from injury that forced the club to cancel two preseason games in China last week.
“We will not see [Messi vs Ronaldo], Ronaldo is in the final part of his recovery to join the group,” Castro said. “We hope that in the next few days he can start working with the team. He will be absent from the game.”
It is possible that the game at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh was the last time the pair, who have been rivals since their time in Spain, would have shared the same pitch.
Ronaldo will be 39 in February, while Messi will turn 37 in July. There has also been speculation the World Cup winner will leave Miami when his contract expires in 2025 and return to Argentina with boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys.
