Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two of the greatest footballers of all time, have started their careers outside of Europe with contrasting performances. Messi, playing for Inter Miami in the United States, scored five goals and provided one assist in his first three games. On the other hand, Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, managed to find the back of the net only once in his first three matches.
In his debut for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, Messi came off the bench and scored a dramatic free-kick in injury time to secure a 2-1 victory. He continued his impressive form in the next game against Atlanta United, contributing to three of Inter Miami’s goals in a comfortable 4-0 win. Messi opened the scoring with a tap-in, doubled his tally with a right-footed strike, and provided an assist for Robert Taylor. He continued his hot streak in the following match against Orlando City, scoring twice in a 3-1 victory.
Ronaldo’s start with Al-Nassr was less successful. In his debut against Al-Ettifaq, his team secured a 1-0 victory, but Ronaldo failed to score. In the Saudi Super Cup against Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr suffered a 3-1 loss, with Ronaldo missing a chance to equalize. In the third game against Al Fateh, Ronaldo’s goal was ruled out for offside, and he missed several other opportunities before finally scoring a late penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw.
In related news, Jordi Alba recently joined Inter Miami in the MLS and revealed that one of the reasons for his move was to reunite with Messi and Sergio Busquets, his former Barcelona teammates. Alba had spent 11 seasons with Barcelona and left the club this year.
As Messi and Ronaldo continue their careers outside of Europe, fans eagerly await their performances and hope to witness the same level of excellence they demonstrated throughout their illustrious careers.
