Al-Nassr take on Inter Miami in a friendly at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Thursday (Febriuary 1) as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi face off. The exciting showdown has been dubbed “The Last Dance” as both superstars lock horns in what could be one of their last meetings.
The spotlight will once again be on Ronaldo and Messi, who have lined up against each other 36 times in competitive games, with Messi winning 16 times and losing 11.
Their very first meeting dates back to April 2008, when a Ronaldo-led Manchester United drew goalless with Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg.
The superstar last squared off in October 2023, when Al-Nassr picked up a 5-4 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in a nine-goal friendly thriller at the King Fahd International Stadium. However, there are doubts over Ronaldo’s fitness ahead of Thursday’s showdown after Al-Nassr cancelled their pre-season tour of China due to muscle injury.
The 38-year-old finished atop the Saudi Professional League scoring charts with 20 league goals last season en route clinching the 2023 IFFHS World’s Best Top Goal Scorer with 54 goals for club and country.
As for Inter Miami, Messi and Luis Suarez were among the goals on Monday when they fell to a 4-3 friendly defeat to Saudi outfit Al-Hilal. The MLS outfit are winless in 11 games, including friendlies.
With Ronaldo and Messi potentially going face to face, expect a thrilling contest . Expect the two sides to cancel each other out in a goalfest.
Prediction: Al-Nassr 2-2 Miami
Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals – Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in Al-Nassr’s last five games.)
Tip 3: Both sides to score – Yes (Both sides have scored in Al-Nassr’s last six games.)
