The friendly between Al-Nassr and Inter Miami failed to bring the long-awaited reunion between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but it still delivered an entertaining match. The absence of the Portuguese due to injury finally ruled him out of this anticipated showdown, while the Argentine was a substitute and only came on towards the end. Nonetheless, those present at the Kingdom Arena witnessed a true goal-scoring spectacle.
The Saudi team was vastly superior to the North American side, whom they defeated 6-0. The night had a Brazilian touch, with Anderson Talisca as the standout player of the match, scoring a hat-trick after his compatriot Otávio paved the way for the win only 3 minutes into the game. Meanwhile, Gregore played the whole match as the Herons’ captain.
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Talisca imitates Ronaldo’s celebration
In addition to shining for the winning team, Talisca had the pleasure of paying tribute to Ronaldo by imitating his famous celebration. Upon learning that his third goal was validated by VAR after a lengthy review, the Brazilian performed the iconic “Siuu” in front of a crowd while the Portuguese watched from the stands.
“We would have liked Cristiano to play with us tonight,” said the 30-year-old, who was named Man of the Match for his impressive performance.
Talisca:
“We would have liked Cristiano to play with us today”
— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) February 1, 2024
Talisca has been with the Saudi team for over two years now, joining from Chinese club Guangzhou FC in July 2021 for eight million euros. This season, he has scored 20 goals in 21 matches across all competitions, excluding friendlies.
