Ronaldo and Messi faced off 36 times during their football careers (Getty)
In disappointing news for football fans, it has been confirmed that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from the upcoming “Last Dance” match against the legend Lionel Messi when Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia faces Inter Miami of the United States tomorrow, Thursday.
Al-Nasr will meet its American counterpart, Inter Miami, in the Riyadh Season Cup, on Thursday at the Kingdom Arena.
Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a muscle injury during the recent period, and was undergoing a treatment and rehabilitation program.
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Al-Nasr coach Luis Castro said today, Wednesday, that Ronaldo will not play in the friendly match because he was not fit enough to train with the team and can only participate in individual training.
Thursday's match is described as the "last dance" because it may be the last confrontation between Ronaldo and Messi, as the two players are approaching the end of their football careers.
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Ronaldo appears affected by the injury the moment he left today pic.twitter.com/BrnRUeFptK
- Share (@1SMi_) January 31, 2024
Messi and Ronaldo have faced off 36 times in various competitions since 2008, when Messi was 20 years old and playing for Barcelona, and Ronaldo was 23 years old in the ranks of Manchester United.
In their 36 meetings, Messi has the advantage with 16 wins, 11 losses and 9 draws. Messi also scored 22 goals and made 11 assists in those matches, compared to 21 goals and one assist for Ronaldo.
The last meeting between Messi and Ronaldo was a friendly match between Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia in January 2023.
Their last competitive meeting was in the group stage of the Champions League in the 2020-2021 season, when Ronaldo scored two goals in Juventus’ 3-0 win over Barcelona.
Messi and Ronaldo are two of the most decorated players in the history of sports in terms of individual and team achievements.
Source: websites