After last night’s 4-3 defeat to Inter Miami, Al Hilal once again took advantage of Messi.
Inter Miami have stepped up their season preparations with a trip to Saudi Arabia as Lionel Messi joins Team USA for his first full season.
Although the MLS club sent out players such as Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba, they found themselves trailing 1-3 at halftime.
In typical Messi fashion, the Argentinian equalized the score in the second half with a penalty kick and an assist. However, in the 88th minute, Brazilian player Malcom’s winning goal helped Al Hilal win.
After the game, Al Hilal launched a shameless attack on Messi and his teammates via his Instagram account.
When the Saudi Professional League team announced the full-time result, they used the headline: “We won easily.”
Despite existing on vastly different continents, Major League Soccer and the Saudi Professional League exhibit a unique tension. Both leagues strive to become the top elite football competitions in non-European regions.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in Saudi Arabia has been a major source of heightened tensions, with the Portuguese star unafraid of bringing negative light to Major League Soccer.
Last July, when Messi moved to Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain, Ronaldo said: “The Saudi league is better than Major League Soccer,” and Al Hilal’s performance undoubtedly confirmed his view.
However, Messi has a chance to change the situation. Inter Miami will wrap up its tour of the Middle East with a “Last Dance”-style showdown with Ronaldo’s Al Nasr side on Thursday.
While the rivalry between Al Hilal and Al Nasr is fierce, Al Hilal forward Michael celebrated by performing Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature ‘Siu’ celebration as Lionel Messi looked on Goal.
This was not the only time Messi faced taunts during the game, with Al Hilal continuing to fan the flames and taking to social media to speak out. After Ruben’s challenge, Al Hilal cruelly mocked Messi by posting a photo of him on the ground. Neves.
The account wrote: “It’s okay Leo, you’re not the first. #RousRuben.”
