In a highly anticipated showdown between football's biggest rivals, Lionel Messi was limited to a late substitute appearance and Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to watch from the stands as his team, Al Nassr, thrashed Messi's Inter Miami 6-0 in the Riyadh Season Cup match held in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo's absence from the game was due to a calf injury, as confirmed by Al Nassr's head coach Luís Castro. On the other hand, Messi surprised fans by sitting on the sidelines during the exhibition match, with reports suggesting it was a precautionary measure due to an injury.

Prior to the kick-off, there was confusion surrounding Messi's inclusion in Miami's squad. The team initially posted a lineup without Messi on a social media platform, but it was later deleted and a new team sheet was shared, indicating Messi's presence on the bench.

Unfortunately for the fans in Riyadh, Messi only entered the game in the 83rd minute, when Miami was already down 6-0. Al Nassr's Anderson Talisca scored a remarkable hat trick, while Aymeric Laporte, formerly from Manchester City, netted a goal from inside his own half. Otavio and Mohammed Maran also contributed to Al Nassr's impressive victory.

The match was considered the final club meeting between Messi and Ronaldo, who have been dominant figures in European football for the past decade, particularly during their stints with Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two superstars have faced each other 36 times in matches for club and country, with Messi's teams emerging victorious on 16 occasions, Ronaldo's teams on 11, and 9 matches ending in draws. Their individual performances have also been noteworthy, with Messi recording 22 goals and 11 assists, and Ronaldo tallying 21 goals and one assist.

Despite being sidelined, Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, cheered on his team from the stands as Al Nassr's goals kept pouring in.

The game took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and was part of Al Nassr's midseason break, which included planned fixtures in China against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang. However, Ronaldo's calf injury forced a postponement of the tour, leading to his public apology on January 23.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami, who suffered a 4-3 loss to Al Hilal earlier in the week, traveled to Saudi Arabia as part of their preseason tour. They are scheduled to play against a Hong Kong XI on February 4.

The absence of Messi and Ronaldo from the starting lineup may have disappointed fans, but it did not dampen the impressive display shown by Al Nassr as they secured a resounding victory against Inter Miami.