BREAKING NEWS: Saudi Arabia extends a warm welcome to Lionel Messi as Al Hilal secures a 4-3 victory against Messi’s Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi, along with former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, started for Inter Miami in their recent match against Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Despite Messi scoring his first goal of 2024 and providing an assist, Inter Miami suffered a 4-3 defeat, with Luis Suárez and 19-year-old David Ruiz also finding the net.

The match marked Inter Miami’s third preseason fixture, following a 0-0 draw against El Salvador and a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas. Al-Hilal, currently on a mid-season break, secured the win with an 88th-minute goal. Despite starting all four former Barcelona stars, Inter Miami faced tough opposition in Al-Hilal, featuring players like Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The game saw various twists, including Suarez’s initially disallowed goal, overturned after VAR review, and a strong comeback by Inter Miami in the second half. Messi converted a penalty, and Ruiz scored an impressive equalizer, showcasing improved performance after halftime.

Messi was substituted in the 88th minute, just moments before Al-Hilal’s Malcom scored the decisive goal. Inter Miami’s next challenge is against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr on Thursday.