Messi’s Saturday ends in defeat, Ronaldo’s in victory
For arch-rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it was a bittersweet Saturday.
While Ronaldo's Saturday ended in a victory dance it was a different story for the Argentine who was on the the losing side.
Messi played the entire game in Inter Miami’s season finale on Saturday night, and Charlotte FC qualified for the MLS playoffs with a 1-0 victory.
Messi shared the spotlight with Charlotte's bid to qualify for the postseason on the last day of the regular season in a game that drew 66,101 at Charlotte's 74,000-seat Bank of America Stadium.
Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, was the clear drawing card, and thousands in attendance were adorned in “Messi 10” jerseys.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner as the world’s top player went the distance in the meaningless game for Miami, which had already been eliminated from playoff contention. He finished with three shots and had two scoring chances. Messi's apparent goal in the 49th minute was negated by an offside call, and his shot in the 62nd minute bounded off the crossbar.
Messi had 11 goals in 14 matches with Miami this season. The team was winless in his final six league matches (three losses, three draws) and had four wins, four losses, and four draws in the league since he joined the team in mid-July.
Messi, who scored twice for Argentina in its 2-0 World Cup qualifying win at Peru on Tuesday night and did not play the next day in a makeup game against Charlotte, did not address the media after the game. He had one media availability in a half-season with the team, on August 17.
While Messi was on the losing side, the Saudi Por League witnessed a vintage piece of Ronaldo on Saturday when the ex-Manchester United star sent in a long-range golazo to earn his side a win.
The Portugal superstar maybe 38 years of age, but the veteran proved he's lost none of his match-winning potency with a sensational decider in the Saudi Pro League. That's after powering home a 30-yard show-stopper to earn Al-Nassr all three points in Saturday's clash against Damak.
The Riyadh-based hosts were stunned when former Tottenham and Burnley winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou sent them behind on the stroke of half-time. But a swift second-half turnaround saw Ronaldo lead the charge and celebrate a victory worthy of his days at Real Madrid or Manchester United.
The Sporting CP product has seen his free-kick abilities scrutinised in more recent years, losing a lot of the accuracy that once built his reputation as a set-piece specialist. But there was a renaissance in effect at Al Awal Park at King Saud University after Anderson Talisca pulled the home team level.
Just a few minutes later, Ronaldo lined up dead centre of the pitch from perfect shooting distance and proceeded to ping it into the top-right corner. Algerian goalkeeper Moustapha Zeghba was left rooted by the effort, and Ronaldo wasn't the only one left with his tongue wagging as he raced to the sideline to celebrate.
