Inter Miami take on Al Nasr tonight in the Riyadh Season Cup, a pre-season friendly tournament. Argentinian football wizard Lionel Messi is on the field for the American club, but Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not be able to play in this match due to injury. As a result, the hope of football fans to see two superstars Messi and Ronaldo face to face is not fulfilled.

The game will start at 12 AM Bangladesh time on Thursday (February 1) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. There were already concerns about Ronaldo's fielding against the US MLS club Miami. Now it has become a reality. The 38-year-old footballer is still not fully recovered from the muscle injury. Luis Castro, the coach of Saudi Pro League club Al Nasr, confirmed that he will not play the day before the match.

Giving bad news to football fans, he said, we will not be able to see (Messi-Ronaldo fight). Ronaldo is now in the final stages of rehabilitation. Hopefully, he will be able to start training with the team in the next few days. He is not staying in this match.

But Messi himself was waiting for this fight along with the fans. He said, I can't wait any longer. My team will face Saudi club Al-Nasser in the Riyadh Season Cup. Probably the last time Ronaldo and I will enter the field together. I am looking forward to be a part of this match.

The two legends met for the first time on the football field in 2008. Since then they have faced each other 35 times. The 36-year-old Argentine forward has won 10 matches compared to 16 for Ronaldo. The remaining nine ended in a tie. Messi has 21 goals and 12 assists in face-to-face matches, Ronaldo has 20 goals and one assist.

The two last met in January last year, in Saudi Arabia. Messi's then club PSG beat Ronaldo's Al Nasr 5-4 in the Riyadh Season Cup. Later, the Argentine star moved to Miami from the French club. The Major Soccer League team has already played one match on the tour of Saudi Arabia. Last Monday, Messi-Suarez lost 4-3 in that match against Saudi club Al Hilal.