Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez. It's a reunion for the ages. The countless La Liga and Champions League battles, the anticipation and rivalry all revisited, and rekindled. No wonder social media was abuzz throughout the weekend to catch Ronaldo and Messi revive their rivalry in a friendly between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami. But as fate would have it, a day before the much-anticipated clash, Al-Nassr coach Luis Castro confirmed that Ronaldo would not be able to take part in Thursday's encounter.
The legendary Portuguese footballer is recovering from a reported calf injury and will not be fit in time to play in the exhibition match between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami in Riyadh on Thursday.
"Cristiano is in the final stage of his recuperation before re-joining the team. We expect that in the next few days he will start working with the team. So, obviously, it will mean he is absent for the game (against Inter Miami)," Castro said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Messi and Ronaldo were longtime rivals when they played in Spain — for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively — and have combined to win 13 of the last 15 Ballon d'Or awards given to the world's best player.
The latest installment of that rivalry was seen as the highlight of Miami's pre-season tour, which included two games in Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}The latest installment of that rivalry was seen as the highlight of Miami's pre-season tour, which included two games in Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}But that was put in doubt when Ronaldo suffered an injury that prompted Al-Nassr to postpone two exhibition matches in China this month.
Messi scored in Miami's 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal on Monday.
Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami Live Streaming Details
Where will the Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match take place?
Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match will be played at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on February 1, 2024 (Thursday).
When will the Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match begin?
The Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match will begin at 11:30 pm IST.
Where to watch live streaming of Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match?
The Al-Nassr vs Inter Miami match will be streamed live on Apple TV. The match will not be telecast in India.