Author: Ashish Pendse

Al Nassr bulldozed Inter Miami FC 6-0. It was a tale of two teams with altogether different mentalities. Al Nassr are in the middle of a mid-season break and ready to up the ante at the business end of the season. Inter Miami, on the other hand, have been going through their pre-season paces. All said and done, a six-goal defeat would be very hard for Lionel Messi & Co to digest. Saudi Arabia’s defeat to South Korea at the AFC Asian Cup has sparked a debate here about whether a European coach is the best way forward for the…

As things stand, there’s no ‘last dance’ and fans in Riyadh are heartbroken. The Riyadh Season’s Cup game between Ronaldo’s Al Nassr and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami was labelled as ‘The Last Dance’, for it could have been the last time the two greats of modern football were playing against each other. But Ronaldo is out, injured. Stanley Jones has travelled all the way from the United States to watch the game. He didn’t hide his frustration. “’It’s a horrible experience to know about Ronaldo’s absence immediately after arriving at the Riyadh airport. I was shattered. Yes, I have spent…

Who is the G.O.A.T – Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? This is a never-ending debate. For the moment, however, they are in Riyadh, getting ready for a face-off. Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League (SPL) side Al Nassr FC will take on Messi’s Inter Miami FC at the beautiful Kingdom Arena here in north Riyadh on Thursday. This could be the one last time when the two greats would try to cancel each other on a football pitch. No wonder then, that the Riyadh Season’s Cup game has been labelled as ‘The Last Dance’. Apart from Ronaldo, the SPL has brought in…

Ashish Pendse from Riyadh Saudi Arabia is reliving the winning goal by Salem Al-Dawsari against the eventual world champions Argentina and Lionel Messi. “Messi chao, chao, chao (Messi goodbye),” is still en vogue among Saudi football fans. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival in Riyadh has reignited a love-hate relationship. Some are even sarcastically saying, “Messi who”! Football fans worldwide fall for Messi magic, arguably the greatest footballer of his generation. Saudi Arabian football fans are no different. They adore Messi’s soccer sorcery – dribbles, nutmegs and goal-bound runs. But Saudi Arabia’s win over Argentina at the Qatar World Cup…

Ashish Pendse from Riyadh Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami FC at the Riyadh Season Cup Invitational football tournament. And here’s an on ground peek of how Ronaldo rules the game in Saudi Arabia too. Ronaldo museum at Boulevard City in Riyadh showcases the popularity of this once-in-a-generation athlete. ‘More than a club’… is the motto of Spanish giants Barcelona FC. And their ex-arch-rival from Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo’s mantra is; not just a footballer… In fact, he is the whole football industry. You can feel this CR7 effect in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Riyadh’s…