It’s been a while since Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi left the top tier of world football after ending their respective careers in Europe back in 2023. Cristiano Ronaldo walked away from the nightmare he was living at Manchester United to explore a new path in Saudi Arabia, while Leo Messi chose to move to MLS after winning the World Cup with Argentina and finishing his contract with PSG. However, their ambition has remained intact and, interestingly, yesterday they both experienced their darkest night with Al-Nassr and Inter Miami. A story that feels familiar when recalling how, in 2012 and 2013, they couldn’t lead Real Madrid or Barcelona to the first Clásico in a Champions League final.

Cristiano's Mistake That Doomed Al-Nassr

To date, Cristiano Ronaldo still doesn’t know what it’s like to win a title since arriving at Al-Nassr… despite coming close on several occasions. This time, however, felt different. With the arrivals of players like Bento, Simakan, and Angelo, plus the winter signing of Jhon Durán, Al-Nassr had managed to build a strong project that already included high-level players like Laporte, Brozovic, Otavio, and Mané to support Cristiano Ronaldo.

Unable to keep up with the pace set by Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr had been focused for months on winning the AFC Champions League. However, they were eliminated last night by Kawasaki Frontale in a single-leg semifinal that left them just short of the final. Cristiano Ronaldo also missed a chance from inside the six-yard box in stoppage time that could’ve sent the match into extra time for Al-Nassr.

Messi Couldn't Save Inter Miami

A few hours later, on the pitch at Chase Stadium, Leo Messi faced the difficult task of leading Inter Miami in a comeback effort during the second leg of the ConcaChampions semifinals against a Vancouver Whitecaps team that had won 2-0 in Canada… and hadn’t conceded three or more goals in a match since Jesper Sorensen took over as head coach.

The plan started well with an early goal from Jordi Alba in the ninth minute. However, they couldn’t level the aggregate score before halftime… and collapsed after the break with two goals from Vancouver Whitecaps. Messi tried everything and came close to scoring on several occasions. But this time, he wasn’t able to help an Inter Miami side that came into the tournament as the heavy favorite to win this ConcaChampions, thanks to a star-studded roster built to support Messi, including Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez.