Lionel Messi revisits an old rival as he prepares for the 2024 MLS season with Inter Miami, who will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr club in a friendly in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
Unfortunately, plans for a showdown between the two long-time rivals were ruined by an injury Ronaldo suffered in training during his winter break. The Saudi club is yet to play a competitive match in 2024, and Ronaldo’s injury forced the cancellation of an earlier tour of China aimed at helping players maintain fitness during downtime.
Messi is preparing to embark on his first full season with Inter Miami after joining midway through last year. He famously led the club to win its first League Cup trophy after signing, but the 36-year-old’s physical problems caused the club to fail towards the goal of the league season and fail to reach the MLS Cup playoffs.
With new signing Luis Suarez now in tow, Messi hopes to help Inter Miami secure league success this year, while also fighting on multiple fronts in several continental knockout tournaments. With that challenge on the horizon, he will continue to prepare for the upcoming campaign knowing that a potential final showdown against his long-time rival, Ronaldo, is no longer on the cards.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Inter Miami vs Al Nassr and bet on friendly club matches
Inter Miami vs Al Nassr prediction, odds
- Lean Money Line: Al Nassr (+105)
- Score prediction: Al Nassr 4-1 Inter Miami
Inter Miami remains a very flawed team and their defensive depth is a big problem heading into the new season. Kamal Miller’s departure is a questionable decision by the club, and although new signing Nicolas Freire is in the team for the pre-season tour, he has not yet taken the field for Inter Miami and it is unclear if he is ready to go here.
After conceding four goals to Al Hilal, they will face another offensive juggernaut in Al Nassr and will struggle to keep their opponents out of the net en masse.
| BetMGM (USA) |
|
| Al Nassr’s victory | +105 |
| Draw | +333 |
| Inter Miami victory | +150 |
| Both teams to note Y/N |
-600 / +360 |
| Below 4.5 goals |
-130 / -110 |
| Al Nassr win both halves |
+425 |
| InterMiami win both halves |
+600 |
