Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi appeared all set to reignite their famous rivalry when Al-Nassr and Inter Miami scheduled a friendly on Thursday.
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- Al-Nassr host Inter Miami in headline clash
- Match billed as Ronaldo vs Messi showdown
- Ronaldo pulled out and Messi is on bench
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WHAT HAPPENED?
However, the chance of seeing the former Real Madrid and Barcelona sensations go head-to-head for old times' sake were dashed when it was announced that Ronaldo would not be part of the Saudi Arabian team for the clash. To make matters worse, there were fears that Messi would be absent, too.
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- Getty
THE EXPLANATION
After Al-Nassr cancelled their tour of China because Ronaldo had to pull out of the team, the muscle injury that the 38-year-old is nursing ended up dashing his chances of coming up against Messi and his Inter Miami co-stars.
Al-Nassr boss Luis Castro confirmed: "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."
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DID YOU KNOW?
On the day of the game there were reports that fans would be deprived of the opportunity to see Messi in Riyadh. After Inter Miami initially announced the squad without the Argentina superstar in the team, they corrected the team sheet which showed that he was named on the bench for the showdown.
- Getty Images
WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND MESSI?
Al-Nassr talisman Ronaldo will hope to be fit again and back in the team for their AFC Champions League tie against Al-Feiha on February 14. Meanwhile, Messi and his team-mates are gearing up for the beginning of their MLS campaign, which starts on February 22.
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