Thursday’s Riyadh Season Cup match between Messi and Inter Miami and Al-Nassr will see Ronaldo sitting on the sidelines. According to his manager Luis Castro, the 38-year-old is still not ready to play again for the Saudi Pro League team due to a muscle ailment.
The Al-Nassr manager explained: “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.”
Fans who were anticipating to watch the two superstars square off in the newest chapter of their rivalry will be devastated by the news. It’s also quite probable that their final encounter would have been the fixture. Messi will turn 37 in July, while Ronaldo will turn 39 in February—though he has hinted that he might play into his forties. Additionally, there has been conjecture that Messi will rejoin hometown team Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina after his contract with Miami expires in 2025.
