In a Thursday friendly, Al Nassr delivered a resounding 6-0 victory over Inter Miami, with an injured Cristiano Ronaldo and a late substitute appearance by Lionel Messi watching from the sidelines.
Ronaldo, sidelined due to a calf injury, left the spotlight to Brazilian forward Talisca, who stole the show with a hat-trick for the Saudi Pro League team. Despite Inter Miami fielding former Barcelona stars Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, they were overwhelmed from the outset, as Otavio and Talisca netted twice within the opening 12 minutes, highlighting Al Nassr’s dominance.
Aymeric Laporte contributed a remarkable long-range free-kick that caught Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender off guard. Talisca added a penalty, and Mohammed Maran’s header further compounded the misery for the visitors. Talisca completed his treble, mimicking Ronaldo’s celebration, just before Messi entered the match in the final minutes with the score already 6-0.
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This outcome extends Inter Miami’s winless pre-season run as they prepare for the upcoming MLS season starting on February 21. The friendly also marks the conclusion of their Middle Eastern tour before continuing to Asia for matches in Hong Kong and Japan.
Although fans missed the anticipated Ronaldo-Messi clash, Al Nassr showcased their strength convincingly against an Inter Miami side still finding their pre-season form.