Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 27 after a training trip with Al Nassr in China and Japan. Photo by Al NassrCristiano Ronaldo has not recovered from a calf injury and will miss the highly anticipated game against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on Thursday, Al Nassr coach Luis Castro confirmed.
“Ronaldo is in the final stages of recovery before returning to the team,” he said Wednesday at the press conference before the game.
“Hopefully Ronaldo can train with the team in the next few days. However, he will miss the match against Inter Miami.”
Al Nassr’s match against Inter Miami is the final match in the Riyadh Season Cup friendly tournament being played in Saudi Arabia.
In their previous match on Jan. 29, Miami lost 3-4 to Al Hilal.
While Ronaldo will be absent, Miami’s stars including Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are all fit and ready to play.
Ronaldo has not played since the 4-1 win over Al Taawoun in round 19 of the Saudi Pro League on Dec. 30. The Portuguese superstar netted a goal in stoppage time to become the world’s top scorer in 2023 with 54 goals, 10 for the Portugal national team and 44 for Al Nassr.
Ronaldo was then on vacation during the mid-season break before returning to training and getting injured.
Ronaldo’s injury is also the reason why Al Nassr canceled two friendlies in China against Shanghai Shenhua on Jan. 24 and Zhejiang on Jan. 28.
He personally apologized to Chinese fans, and promised to return with Al Nassr in the near future when he recovers.
This might have been the last chance for Ronaldo, 38, and Messi, 36, to face off. The last time the two superstars clashed was also in a friendly, when Messi, who was playing for PSG then, played against a Riyadh All-Star team that included Ronaldo in January last year.
Ronaldo scored twice but his team still lost the match 4-5.
Messi and Ronaldo have played against each other 37 times, including friendlies. Messi won 17 matches, lost 11 and drew 9.
Curiously, both players scored 23 goals in those matches.
After playing Al Nassr, Miami go to Hong Kong and Japan to continue their pre-season campaign before returning to the U.S. to prepare for the 2024 MLS season.
In earlier matches, they drew 0-0 with El Salvador and lost 0-1 to FC Dallas.
