Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry to be renewed in Riyadh Season Cup match

For close to two decades, the footballing lexicon of the world has been dominated by two titans. A generation of fans have seen two icons battle each other for dominance with the world at their feet, like two kaijus locked in an eternal battle for supremacy. But on Thursday night, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s rivalry might be witnessing their last dance as Inter Miami lock horns with Al Nassr in a Riyadh Season Cup match.

But there is a big question mark on the generational clash. Because Ronaldo is nursing an injury and in a race against time to be fit for the much-anticipated game. The Portuguese talisman’s calf injury had forced Al Nassr to cancel two friendlies in China last week and if he can’t make the XI against Messi on Thursday, it’s likely to draw the final curtain on a rivalry that has encapsulated the hearts of the fans for so many years.

Al Nassr hasn’t yet announced Ronaldo’s withdrawal from the match.

Many have waxed lyrical on the two since they burst onto the scene in Manchester and Barcelona respectively with fans salivating at the prospect of the two meeting on the field for the first time. Their prayers were answered in 2009 when Ronaldo left Manchester United and inked a deal with Real Madrid and thus his fate with Messi has been intertwined ever since.

The two would set the La Liga on fire — Ronaldo with 450 goals in 438 appearances for the Los Blancos while Messi scored a whopping 672 goals in 778 matches for the Catalan giants. Before they both left Spain for Juventus and Paris Saint Germain respectively, they had engraved their names into history as two of the best players of an entire generation.

Sharing 13 Ballon d’Ors between them, the level of dominance that the two megastars have had