(Football News) Cristiano Ronaldo will not feature in the much-anticipated Riyadh Season Cup match against Lionel Messi on Thursday, as confirmed by Al Nassr coach Luis Castro. This announcement dashed hopes of witnessing the two football legends share the pitch once more after a year.
Castro clarified, “We will not see [Messi vs Ronaldo]. Cristiano is in the final phase of his recovery to rejoin the group. We hope that in the next few days, he can start working with the team. He will be absent from the game.”
The excitement surrounding the potential clash between Messi and Ronaldo reached a peak, but Castro’s statement extinguished the expectations of fans. Speculations had arisen that this encounter might be the last time the two icons faced each other, considering Ronaldo turning 39 in February and Messi turning 37 in July.
There have been rumors about Messi potentially leaving the USA after his contract expires to return to his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has expressed that he is not ready to retire anytime soon. In the upcoming match, Messi’s Inter Miami will face an Al Nassr without Ronaldo, hoping to secure their first preseason win after losses to FC Dallas and New York City FC, as well as a draw with El Salvador. They suffered another setback earlier this week, losing 4-3 to Al Hilal.
As for Ronaldo, he aims to regain full fitness to continue his outstanding performance with Al Nassr, who remain unbeaten in their last five matches. The Portuguese star is in top form, having scored 20 goals in 18 matches this season.
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