Messi’s strike ignites a comeback, but Inter Miami loses to Al Hilal 4-3 in Saudi Arabia.
With just seven minutes to go, Lionel Messi exited the field in relief after igniting Inter Miami’s comeback from a two-goal deficit in Saudi Arabia.
And Inter Miami’s night was ruined in a matter of seconds by a former Barcelona star who wasn’t on their side.
The first game of the Riyadh Season Cup took place on Monday at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. Malcom scored the game’s first goal in the 88th minute, and Al Hilal defeated Messi and Inter Miami 4-3.
Thursday at 1 p.m. ET sees Messi and Inter Miami face again, but due to a calf injury, it’s unclear if archrival Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Al Nassr.
Inter Miami rallied from a 3-1 halftime deficit to draw the game with goals from 19-year-old David Ruiz and Messi, who scored on a penalty kick in the 54th and 55th minutes, respectively. However, Malcom, who played for Barcelona in 2018–19 alongside Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, ruined the chance for a draw.
In the 34th minute, Luis Suárez scored Inter Miami’s first goal as a member of the team. Referees decided Suárez was offside to initiate the sequence even though it looked like Messi had knotted the score at two minutes later.
Messi and company were left stunned early on when Aleksandar Mitrović scored for Al Hilal in the tenth minute and Abdullah Al-Hamdan for the team in the thirteenth.
In the 44th minute prior to halftime, Michael stood up for a header to help Al Hilal grab a 3-1 lead, just as Inter Miami was about to mount a comeback.
In its third game of a drawn-out preseason trip, Inter Miami looked happy with their comeback as Messi exited the field in the 88th minute, despite eight offside calls.
Watch the highlights of the match below.
Malcom goal: Inter Miami 3, Al Hilal 4.
Within minutes following Leo Messi’s departure in the 88th minute, Inter Before halftimes.
Malcom, who spent the 2018–19 season playing for Barcelona with Inter Miami’s stars, gave Al Hilal a 4–3 lead in the 88th minute with a header past Inter Miami goaltender Drake Calendar.
Six minutes of extra time are left as the Riyadh Season Cup opener comes to a close despite an incredible comeback.
Al Hilal 3, Inter Miami 3 are the replacements for Inter Miami.
David Ruiz has left the field as a substitute after leveling the score and setting up Messi’s penalty kick early in the second half.
Luis Suárez also left the game at the seventy-five minute. Leo Campana and Gregor are now considered for Inter Miami.
It seems Messi could play the full ninety minutes in this one, with fifteen minutes remaining.
David Ruiz’s goal and Inter Miami’s draw: Inter Miami 3, Al Hilal 3
David Ruiz beat the Al Hilal goalie with a stunning kick that ended up in the net.
In less than a minute, Inter Miami and Al Hilal matched in the Saudi Arabian Riyadh Season Cup.
Al Hilal 3, Inter Miami 2. Penalty kick scored by Leo Messi.
In 2024, Leo Messi scored his first goal during the preseason.
In the 54th minute, Messi scored on a penalty kick to reduce Inter Miami’s lead to 3-2. Following a video review, Inter Miami was given a penalty kick after Mohammed Jahfali of Al Hilal brought down David Ruiz in the box.
Report during halftime between Inter Miami and Al Hilal
In their third preseason game of the year, Messi and Inter Miami are behind 3-1 at the break.
Aleksandar Mitrović scored in the tenth, Abdullah Al-Hamdan in the thirteenth, and Michael’s header gave Al Hilal a 3-1 lead before the half.
The game was one-sided until Suarez’s first Inter Miami goal in the 34th minute gave the MLS squad some life.
Messi scored a goal a minute later, giving Inter Miami hope that their early disadvantage would be eliminated.
Rather, Inter Miami will have a challenging challenge to start the second half. Can they react, or given that it’s still preseason, will their stars be let go early?
Michael leads Al Hilal to a 3–1 victory over Inter Miami.
It is still a nightmare in Saudi Arabia.
Just before halftime, Michael, the star of Al Hilal, went up to take a header kick past Inter Miami goaltender Drake Calendar, putting his team up 3-1. Al Hilal scored again to restore a two-goal advantage in the game, just when it appeared Inter Miami had a chance and almost matched the score two minutes earlier.
Leo Messi failed to score: Al Hilal 2, Miami Inter 1
In the 39th minute of the game, Inter Miami came very close to tying Al Hilal.
One minute after Luis Suárez had given Inter Miami the lead, Leo Messi scored as well, but the goal was disallowed because Suarez was not onside when Messi diverted the ball and kicked it into the net.
Luis Suárez goal: Inter Miami 2, Al Hilal 1.
Luis Suárez was furious with the official And as it happened, he was correct.
After being called offsides, Suárez’s first goal with Inter Miami was validated via video assistant refereeing.
Messi was surrounded by three defenders when he found Jordi Alba, who then found Julian Gressel, a rookie, racing down the middle. It was unquestionably Inter Miami’s best sequence of the year.
Gressel discovered Suárez gliding along the right side, and when the Al Hilal goalie emerged to block Gressel’s pass, he had an open goal.
It’s the first preseason goal for Inter Miami.
In 25′, Sergio Busquets misses: Al Hilal 2, Miami Inter 0
DeAndre Yedlin found Sergio Busquets inside the goal area, giving Inter Miami their best chance at goal, but Busquets missed the mark.
Inter Miami scored two corner kicks before the opportunity presented itself.
Al Hilal had an open chance, but Inter Miami goalie Drake Callendar deflected it three minutes later to maintain the score at 2-0 in 28′. Michael kicked his attempt, but Callendar made a well placed pass to divert it away.
Luis Suárez missed in the 21st minute: Al Hilal 2, Inter Miami 0
The rookie for Inter Miami, Luis Suárez, attempted to slide toward the net but missed.
However, the referee determined that Suárez and another Inter Miami player, David Ruiz, were offsides following the effort.
Like in their opening two preseason games, Inter Miami seemed a step slow.
Goal scored by Abdullah Al-Hamdan: Al Hilal 2, Inter Miami 0. Whoah.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan of Al Hilal gave his team a 2-0 lead in the thirteenth minute.
Luis Suárez then missed a wide-open goal on goal one minute later. Although it wasn’t the finest of opportunities for Inter Miami during preseason, he would have been offsides otherwise.
Aleksandar Mitrović goal: Inter Miami 0, Al Hilal 1.
Once more, Leo Messi and Inter Miami are eliminated early.
Al Hilal defeated Messi and Inter Miami 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aleksandar Mitrović in the tenth minute. Inter Miami is behind early in this preseason game for the second time in a row. After the opening three minutes, they were behind 1-0.
Messi is hauled out by Inter Miami with only one touch. Al Hilal 0
Before the four-minute mark, Leo Messi made his first touch of the game and was challenged by an Al Hilal player in the midfield area.
Neymar and other players do not represent Al Hilal.
The AFCON’s Koulibaly and Bono, the Asian Cup’s Mohammed Kanno, Aedulelah Al-Malki, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Ali Al-Bulayhi, and Saleh Al-Sherhri are all competing, while Brazilian sensation Neymar is sidelined with a knee injury.
How much will Messi play in the opening Saudi Arabian match against Al Hilal?
Along with other former Barcelona stars Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, Leo Messi is starting for Inter Miami. But with a second match this week against Al Hilal, how much will they play?
In their first preseason game, Messi, Suárez, Busquets, and Alba all played; in their most recent game, Messi, Suárez, and Busquets played until the 64th minute, while Alba played the entire game.
The following are each team’s starting lineups:
In Saudi Arabia, Inter Miami unveils their 2024 pink shirts.
Leo Messi’s iconic pink Inter Miami shirts from his rookie campaign are back, but with some improvements. And hopefully, with Messi donning them, they continue to be as well-liked.
The 2getherness shirt, Inter Miami’s 2024 pink primary uniform, was introduced prior to Monday’s matchup with Al Hilal. Additionally, they will be worn on Thursday when Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, plays.The Adidas emblem, the Inter Miami club badge, and the Royal Caribbean logo—which features a crown perched on an anchor—run vertically along the center of the team’s new uniform.
The two companies that are still on the jersey, Apple TV and Fracht Group, are featured on the sleeves of the new pink jerseys, which have three black stripes down the collarbone that stop halfway.
Since Messi joined the squad, Inter Miami has worn pink jerseys nearly entirely with a high polo shirt collar; this trait is no longer present in the new uniform.
Black logos are seen on pink jerseys, and pink logos are shown on black jerseys (which were revealed last week).
Before Monday’s game, take a peek at Messi before it happens:
Preview of Inter Miami
After he pulled over to autograph an Argentina fan’s shirt in the middle of Miami traffic, Messi launched a brand-new Royal Caribbean cruise ship. He is currently playing two matches for Inter Miami on the opposite side of the globe.
of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season Cup.
In order to promote the team and Major League Soccer in light of Messi’s fame, Inter Miami began their global preseason tour on Monday at 1 p.m. ET versus Al-Hilal. The team is also getting ready for the 2024 MLS season.
At a press conference on Sunday, Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus declared, “Leo Messi is the best player in the world and his presence in the match makes the event and the match exceptional.”
At a press conference on Sunday, Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus declared, “Leo Messi is the best player in the world and his presence in the match makes the event and the match exceptional.”
face Thursday, Messi takes face Al-Nassr, Ronaldo’s team. Due to a calf injury, Ronaldo’s availability for the match versus Messi is uncertain.
Leo Messi is still very popular everywhere in the world.
Messi participated in the Inter Miami 2024 La Noche black jersey premiere before traveling to Saudi Arabia. The event took place on board the new Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which is the corporate sponsor of Inter Miami.
Additionally, it was revealed that Messi will feature in a Michelob Ultra Super Bowl commercial, which will run on February 11 during the NFL championship game.This week, Messi was also highlighted in a commercial for Saudi Arabian travel.
Is Ronaldo going to face Messi in the Riyadh Season Cup once more?
The match, which was first labeled “The Last Dance,” may be Messi and Ronaldo’s last encounter of their illustrious careers.
However, it’s unknown how healthy Ronaldo will be for Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season Cup encounter against Inter Miami on Thursday.
As you can see, I’m depressed. When Ronaldo announced his calf injury and the postponement of two Al-Nassr preseason games in China last week, he added, “I know you are sad, too, especially the people who love Cristiano.”
Can Messi and Inter Miami defeat Al-Hilal without much help?
Messi and Inter Miami have not scored in either of their first two preseason games: a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas on Monday and a scoreless stalemate against El Salvador on January 19.
However, they could defeat Al Hilal on Monday in the preseason. Hilal is without a number of players who are competing for their countries in the Asian and African Cups of Nations.
The main focus of Inter Miami’s preseason has been the return of former FC Barcelona star Luis Suarez, who joins former teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. Additionally, newcomer Julian Gressel is the winner of the MLS Cup.