Lionel Messi made a late appearance as an 83rd-minute substitute, in Riyadh on Thursday, yet could not prevent Inter Miami from enduring a crushing 6-0 defeat against an Al-Nassr side missing Cristiano Ronaldo.
The much-anticipated match, seen as a potential final showdown between the multiple Ballon D’Or winners, formed part of a friendly tournament that also featured Neymar’s Al-Hilal, the leaders of the Saudi Pro League.
Messi, nursing a hamstring issue, began the game on the bench, while Portugal’s Ronaldo was sidelined entirely due to a muscle injury, disappointing fans eager to witness the clash between the world’s most renowned footballers.
Despite Inter’s lineup boasting former Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets, the team found themselves trailing 3-0 within the opening 12 minutes and failed to mount a comeback threat.
Earlier in the week, Messi, aged 36, faced Al-Hilal, where he scored a penalty in the 54th minute before being substituted two minutes from time, as Inter suffered a 4-3 defeat.
The absence of the 38-year-old Ronaldo led to the cancellation of Al-Nassr’s planned two-game China tour the previous week.
