Inter Miami left supporters confused by adding Lionel Messi to their substitutes bench shortly before kick-off in Thursday’s Riyadh Season Cup match against Al-Nassr. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner had joined long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in being ruled out of the clash earlier in the day, leaving many fans disappointed.
Inter and Al-Nassr’s meeting in the Middle East had been dubbed ‘The Last Dance’, considering it was the potential final meeting on the pitch between Messi and Ronaldo.
However, earlier in the week, Al-Nassr manager Luis Castro confirmed that the latter would not be taking part in the showcase encounter.
He said: “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 you can start working with the team. He will be absent from the game.”
And Messi added to the woes of fans in attendance and worldwide by also dropping out as a precaution. He was subsequently absent from Inter’s official squad graphic on X (formerly Twitter).
After a lengthy period, though, Inter deleted their initial post and re-added it to the social media platform, this time featuring Messi among their substitutes.
It has prompted mass optimism that the Argentine World Cup winner will be taking to the pitch while Ronaldo, supporting his team-mates at the Kingdom Arena, watches on.
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