Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami takes on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr on Thursday in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Referred to be the “final meeting between the two finest footballers of a generation,” this will be the first time the two players have faced one other since leaving Europe.
Al-Nassr will be participating in the minor competition for the first time. against Monday night, the MLS team took against Al Hilal, their Saudi title opponents.
Club Al Hilal took the lead in this friendly mid-season tournament after a nail-biting match that saw them win 4-3 thanks to a late goal from Malcom. The match between the two Saudi clubs is scheduled for February 8; depending on the outcome, it may end up being a winner-take-all match.
With the Saudi Pro League title race put on pause for the winter break, Al-Nassr is currently seven points behind Al Hilal.
That’s even if Luis Castro’s team ended 2023 with five straight victories and 21 goals scored. With 20 goals in 18 games this season, Ronaldo is presently the division’s top scorer. He was on target in all five of the team’s triumphs.
Messi’s Inter Miami team enters the match at the other end of the form spectrum, having only managed three points from their last six MLS regular season games, which kept them out of the playoffs.
Inter Miami haven’t improved on the pitch despite their continued busyness since the conclusion of their league season.
In domestic friendlies, the team lost to FC Dallas and New York City FC, and even with a formidable starting lineup, they were only able to draw 0-0 with El Salvador before falling to Al Hilal 4-3 earlier this week.
After this match, they will have finished their short Riyadh Season Cup campaign. Just 11 days, they will travel to eastern Asia to play Hong Kong All-Stars and Vissel Kobe, and then come home to play Messi’s childhood team, Newell’s Old Boys, in preparation for the MLS season.
Al Nassr vs Inter Miami Match Details
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Time: 11:30 PM IST
Location: Kingdom Arena
TV: No Broadcast in India
Live Stream: Apple TV
Lineup Prediction
Al Nassr possible starting lineup: Al Aqidi; S Al Ghannam, Al Amri, Laporte, Alex Telles; Brozovic, Al Sulaiheem; Anderson Talisca, K Al Ghannam, Otavio; Ronaldo
Inter Miami possible starting lineup: Callender; Yedlin, Aviles, Kryvtsov, Allen, Jordi Alba; Gressel, Busquets, Ruiz; Messi, Suarez
Dream11
Goalkeeper – Al Aqidi
Defenders – Telles, Laporte, Alba, Kryvtsov
Midfielders – Talisca, Otavio, Busquets
Attackers – Ronaldo, Suarez, Messi
