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Lionel Messi will continue ramping up for the 2024 MLS campaign as Inter Miami take on Al Nassr in a preseason exhibition match on Thursday in Saudi Arabia.
The match was billed as “The Last Dance,” considered the likely final chapter in Messi’s rivalry with fellow global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. However, that will not be the case as Ronaldo picked up a calf injury a week ago and has not recovered in time to participate today.
Al Nassr have not played a match since December 30, as the Saudi Pro League takes an extended winter break through January, but Ronaldo sustained a muscle problem in training that scuppered the team’s planned tour of China.
Messi has participated heavily in Inter Miami preseason, scoring his first goal of 2024 last time out as the MLS side fell 4-3 to another Saudi club, Al Hilal, on Monday. Messi netted from the penalty spot early in the second half, after Luis Suarez had found his first goal for Inter Miami before the break.
The Sporting News is following the Inter Miami vs Al Nassr match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
Inter Miami vs Al Nassr live score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| Inter Miami | – | – |
| Al Nassr | – | – |
Kickoff: 9 p.m. local (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
Location: Kingdome Stadium (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Referee: Edina Alves Batista (BRA)
Starting lineups (predicted):
Al Nassr (4-2-3-1, right to left): Alaqidi (GK) — Ghanam, Amri, Laporte, Telles — Alkhaibari, Brozovic — Talisca, Otavio, Ghareeb — Maran.
Inter Miami (3-5-2, right to left): Callender (GK) — Aviles, Kryvtsov, Allen — Yedlin, Gressel, Busquets, D. Ruiz, Alba — Suarez, Messi.
Inter Miami vs Al Nassr live updates, highlights, commentary
Inter Miami vs Al Nassr: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more
3 hours to kickoff: With this match billed as “The Last Dance” given the likelihood of it being the final time Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo meet on the pitch, the news of Ronaldo’s injury two weeks ago in Al Nassr training was a gut punch.
While it seemed initially that there was a chance Ronaldo could recover in time, he was not able to prove fit enough to join the team for training the day before the match, which is usually an indication that one will not participate. Sure enough, it was confirmed by Al Nassr head coach Luis Castro shortly thereafter, who delivered the news that Ronaldo would not be available.
With Sadio Mane also unlikely to participate, having just returned from AFCON duty with Senegal after a disappointing early exit, the Al Nassr attack will feature some understudies here today.
We will not see Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi tomorrow, per Al-Nassr coach ❌🇵🇹
Luis Castro: “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… pic.twitter.com/5vypCx9ipZ
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) January 31, 2024
Inter Miami vs Al Nassr lineups, team news
Al Nassr star forward Cristiano Ronaldo was in a race against time to recover from a calf injury for this match, and he came up short, unable to pass fit to participate in training the day prior, which ruled him out of contention. In CR7’s place up front will likely be 22-year-old Mohammed Maran, who broke into the Saudi Arabia national-team picture a year ago.
It’s unlikely that former Liverpool and Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane will take part in this match, having just been eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal on Monday and in need of some rest. Furthermore, Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana was on the opposing side as Senegal were eliminated, meaning Fofana will miss this match as he remains in AFCON contention with the host nation.
Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is in the best form of any Al Nassr player at the moment, having contributed two goals and three assists in his eight matches before the winter break.
Al Nassr projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Alaqidi (GK) — Ghanam, Amri, Laporte, Telles — Alkhaibari, Brozovic — Talisca, Otavio, Ghareeb — Maran.
Al Nassr subs (12): (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)
With such a thin and aging roster, injuries will be Inter Miami’s biggest foe across the coming season, and a few players have already succumbed to fitness concerns.
Young midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi will miss two or three months after requiring surgery for a sports hernia, a big loss for the side. Full-back Ian Fray is still recovering from his torn ACL in the latter half of last season, as are Franco Negri and Corentin Jean.
Head coach “Tata” Martino has experimented with full-back Noah Allen as part of a back three in preseason, but new signing Nicolas Freire is with the squad in Saudi Arabia and could take over that role alongside established starters Toto Aviles and Serhiy Kryvtsov.
Inter Miami projected starting lineup (3-5-2): Callender (GK) — Aviles, Kryvtsov, Allen — Yedlin, Gressel, Busquets, D. Ruiz, Alba — Suarez, Messi.
Inter Miami subs (12): (Lineups released one hour prior to kickoff)
How to watch Inter Miami vs Al Nassr
This club friendly match between Inter Miami and Al Nassr from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be broadcast across the globe on MLS Season Pass from Apple TV.
MLS Season Pass is the home for the entirety of the 2024 Major League Soccer season, with every match streaming on the platform throughout the coming campaign. They will also have the broadcast rights to the Leagues Cup, which will take place in August as MLS clubs pause their league schedule to contest a knockout tournament against clubs from the Mexican top flight.
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