Al Nassr Blitzes Past Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami With Cristiano Ronaldo Missing Through Injury And Messi Appearing for a Brief Cameo
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lione Messi was forced to watch from the sidelines for the majority of the game as Al Nassr scored six with no reply from Inter Miami. The highly anticipated showdown had been billed as the “Last Dance” between Messi and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. However, both players were unavailable to start due to injury, with Cristiano omitted from the squad altogether.
At every stage of the game, Al Nassr looked the sharper of the two and was three-nil up by the 12th minute. In the 3rd minute, Otávio managed to find acres of space in the box and opened the scores. Seven minutes later, Talisca scored the first of his three goals for the night. A spectacular lob from Laporte from inside his own half in the 12th minute dimmed any hope Inter Miami had for a comeback.
The star-studded Inter Miami included Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, all former Messi teammates at Barcelona. The MLS side struggled with defensive lapses and gave Al Nassr too much space to create chances.
In the second half, a 50th minute tackle by Callender on Mohammed Maran allowed Talisca to convert from the penalty spot and make it 4-0. Maran got in on the action in the 68th minute when he scored a header to make it five.
In the 73rd minute, Talisca scored on a breakaway only for the goal to be disallowed for an offside. A VAR review concluded he was onside, and he secured his hat trick.
After an entire match of fans calling out for Messi, he eventually took to the field in the 83rd minute but by then the damage was already done with the fight exhaustively beaten out of the Inter Miami side.
