((Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo>)) Al Nassr vs Inter Miami CF Live Free Streams Online Broadcast 1 February 2024
Al Nassr vs. Inter Miami CF FREE LIVE STREAM (2/1/2024): Watch Club Friendly Game online | Time, TV, channel. Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are set to lock horns in a Riyadh Season Cup clash on Thursday.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE FREE ONLINE
It's the first time that these two sides are part of the mid-season mini competition in Saudi Arabia, apart from another Saudi side in Al-Hilal who defeated the MLS outfit 4-3 on Monday.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: Club Friendly
Who: Al Nassr vs. Inter Miami CF
When: Thursday, February 1, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV: ESPN+
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been football’s two greatest players for the better part of the last two decades and they are set to collide one more time.
The pair did battle for the better part of a decade in Spain while playing for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively and produced some titanic battles both in La Liga and the Champions League. Since then, the Portuguese international moved to Italian giants Juventus, Manchester United and now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while Messi spent two years at PSG before moving to Inter Miami last summer.
Now, the pair are due to face off in a blockbuster friendly on Thursday. Mirror Sport has all the details to make sure fans can witness what may be the last time Messi and Ronaldo share the pitch.
Inter Miami vs Al-Nassr will take place on Thursday, February 1 with kick-off set for 6pm. The MLS club is currently on its pre-season tour with the league campaign to start against Real Salt Lake on February 21.
Al-Nassr, on the other hand, are in the middle of their season. After a lengthy winter break they play another club friendly against Al Hilal a week later. They then take on Al Feiha in the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League on February 14.
Inter Miami failed to win any of their three previous pre-season games. They drew to El Salvador and suffered defeats to FC Dallas and Al-Hilal. As for Al-Nassr, there is a small chance that injury threatens to prevent Ronaldo from playing in the friendly against Messi and Miami. Al-Nassr were forced to postpone their mid-season tour of China because of an issue plaguing the Portuguese megastar.
Both their matches against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang were called off, to the disappointment of thousands of fans. "We are willing to complete our training camp as planned in Shenzhen, a city that has warmly welcomed us and shown so much love for us and our captain," Al-Nassr announced just a day before they were due to face Shenhua. "Furthermore, we have agreed with the organiser to schedule a new match as soon as possible."
Ronaldo, who turns 39 next month, apologised to fans by saying: "I have played for 22 years and I am a player that doesn't have too many injuries. So I'm really sad because Al-Nassr and myself have come to China to enjoy the tour. We have not cancelled the game, we want to push for the game and be back here... Unfortunately, I have some problem, but this is part of football and my life."
Cristiano Ronaldo's eagerly-antipated showdown with Lionel Messi is off, with the Al-Nassr star unable to face Inter Miami due to injury. Although Senegal have been knocked out from the Africa Cup of Nations, it is unlikely that Sadio Mane will be able to turn up for the game.
Moreover, with Khalid Al-Ghannam joining Al-Ettifaq on a four-and-a-half year deal, Anderson Talisca is likely to start at the tip. Ivory Coast's Seko Fofana continues at the AFCON, while Aziz Behich is representing Australia at the Asian Cup.
It's a semi-Barcelona reunion of sorts at Inter Miami, with Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all team-mates of Messi at the MLS side. The Uruguayan scored against Al-Hilal on Monday.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who is in the final phase of his recovery from an injury, remains absent from Al-Nassr. Luís Castro's team will face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami next Thursday (day 1).
Last week, Al-Nassr saw friendlies against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang canceled due to the Portuguese star's injury. The team continued training on Chinese soil, despite the cancellation of the match.
Last Monday (29), Inter Miami, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Busquets, Jordi Alba and company, lost 4-3 against Al-Hilal in another friendly. The match could have marked the reunion of Messi and Neymar, but the Brazilian is recovering from a knee injury and was not on the field.
Inter Miami, for its part, represents North American soccer and seeks to improve its performance to do well in the upcoming season, taking into account that its team is still in preseason.
In the last edition of the MLS, Inter Miami disappointed its fans by suffering an early elimination in the regular phase of the competition, but its star-studded squad has fans excited and hoping for better results in 2024.
Among the most notable are names such as the Argentine Lionel Messi and the Uruguayan Luis Suárez, who have already played rivalry matches with the Al Nassr star, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al Nassr, buoyed by their five-game winning streak this season, remain in contention for the title in all the competitions they have participated in, and will be motivated to do well against the Americans.
With the advantage of playing in Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr has several star players, with Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo as the main figure in its squad.
In their most recent match, they faced Al-Taawon and emerged victorious by a resounding 4-1, managing to control the offensive actions despite the adversity of playing away from home.
Al-Nassr and Inter Miami face each other this Thursday (1st) at 3:00 p.m. at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The match is a friendly between the Saudi club and the North American club and they will face each other for the first time in their history.
Al-Nassr is one of the giants of Saudi football and is trying to establish itself on the world stage. However, their main absence for this afternoon's match will be Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still recovering from an injury. The Arab team has not played since December 30, when it played in the local league.
For its part, Inter Miami, which awaits the start of the season in the United States, continues with its routine of exhibition matches. And Argentine striker Lionel Messi is the main attraction, with a guaranteed appearance in tonight's match.
The match was set to see Ronaldo reunited with his old rival Lionel Messi with both players building up towards the return of domestic club action in February but the Portuguese has now been ruled out through injury. Inter Miami are yet to win a game in preseason, after a 4-3 loss to Al Hilal, following on from a win and a draw before flying out to the Middle East.
Inter Miami is currently experiencing an 11-game winless streak, making Al Nassr the more formidable team. Al Nassr enters the match with a positive record, having won five consecutive matches.
Al-Nassr Riyadh has performed exceptionally well in recent football matches in Saudi Arabia. In the last five games, they secured victories against Al Taawon Buraidah (4-1) and Al Ittihad Jeddah (5-2) in the Saudi Arabia Premier League and Pro League, respectively.
Additionally, they emerged victorious against Al Ittifaq Dammam (3-1) in the Pro League and Al Shabab Riyadh (5-2) in the Saudi Arabia Cup. The team also triumphed against an opponent from Al Riyadh (1-0) in the Premier League.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will renew their seemingly ageless rivalry, perhaps for the last time as Inter Miami take on Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
But there’s a catch this time with Ronaldo’s fitness still in the air as of writing. The Al Nassr ace had suffered a calf injury which had forced the Saudi Arabian club to cancel their China trip about a week ago and it’s still unclear if Ronaldo has recovered or not.
Both clubs come into the match with contrasting forms with Miami having lost to FC Dallas and New York City FC while drawing 0-0 with El Salvador where Messi and Suarez both started. Earlier this week, they lost 4-3 to Al Hilal. Al Nassr, meanwhile are on a 5-game winning run.
Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino could stick with an unchanged team from the Al Hilal loss with Messi partnered in attack by Luis Suarez. This match is Al Nassr's first game back in action since their mid-season break with Luis Castro's team currently second in the Saudi Pro League.