The highly anticipated face-off between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is off as the Portuguese superstar is ruled out of the game against Inter Miami due to injury, reported by GOAL.

Scheduled to clash with Inter Miami in the Riyadh Season Cup on Thursday, Ronaldo's absence will be a major disappointment for fans eagerly awaiting the iconic battle between two football legends. Despite Al-Nassr gearing up for the challenge, Ronaldo, who is dealing with a muscle complaint, remains sidelined and is not yet ready to make a return to the pitch.

Al-Nassr's manager, Luis Castro, provided an update on Ronaldo's condition, stating, “We will not see [Messi vs Ronaldo]. Ronaldo is in the final part of his recovery to join 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 absence of Ronaldo adds a layer of unpredictability to the match, as Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, faces a different Al-Nassr without their seasoned Portuguese forward. The fixture, initially touted as a clash of titans, will now showcase how both teams adapt to unexpected changes in their lineups.

As fans brace themselves for a game without the anticipated Ronaldo-Messi showdown, attention shifts to how Al-Nassr and Inter Miami will approach the match in the absence of one of football's greatest goal-scorers. The Riyadh Season Cup encounter takes a turn as Ronaldo's injury keeps him away from the action, altering the dynamics of this eagerly awaited spectacle.

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