Cristiano Ronaldo reaches third final with Al Nassr: How many has Lionel Messi played with Inter Miami?

On Tuesday, Al Nassr defeated Al Ittihad 2-1 to advance to the final of the 2025 Saudi Super Cup. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it will be his third official final with the club as he continues to chase his first title. How does that compare to Lionel Messi’s performance with Inter Miami?

Since joining Al Nassr at the end of 2022, Ronaldo has struggled to lead the club to a title. In the Saudi Pro League, they’ve consistently finished behind rivals like Al Hilal and Al Ittihad, while on the international stage they’ve failed to reach the decisive match in the AFC Champions League.

It’s in domestic cup competitions where Al Nassr have come closest to lifting a trophy. In fact, since CR7’s arrival, the club’s only finals have come in these types of tournaments. Still, luck hasn’t been on their side.

Cristiano’s first final with Al Nassr was the 2023–24 King’s Cup, where they drew 1-1 with Al Hilal before losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout. The following season, Al Hilal once again denied them a title—this time in the 2024 Saudi Super Cup, where Ronaldo’s goal wasn’t enough to avoid a heavy 4-1 defeat.

Cristiano Ronaldo has lost both official finals he has played with Al Nassr.

It’s worth noting that Cristiano Ronaldo did play—and win—another final with Al Nassr: the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, in which they advanced round by round and defeated Al Hilal 2-1 in the final. However, this tournament is not recognized as official by FIFA, so it isn’t included in these statistics.

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How many finals has Messi played with Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi arrived in Major League Soccer just six months after Ronaldo joined Al Nassr, meaning they’ve spent almost the same amount of time with their current clubs. In the two years since, Inter Miami have played in two finals.

The first came just weeks after Messi’s debut. The Argentine star led the team on a historic run in the 2023 Leagues Cup, which ended with the club’s first-ever title after defeating Nashville SC in a penalty shootout.

A month and a half after that championship, the Herons played their second final. It was the 2023 US Open Cup against Houston Dynamo FC. However, Messi was sidelined with a muscle injury and couldn’t help his teammates avoid a 2-1 loss.

Who has won more titles, Messi or Ronaldo?

After eliminating Al Ittihad in the semifinals, Al Nassr will now face either Al Qadsiah or Al Ahli in the final of the Saudi Super Cup. That gives Cristiano Ronaldo the chance to win his first official title with Al Nassr—and the 36th trophy of his professional career.

Starting with the Portuguese Super Cup won with Sporting CP in 2002, CR7 has built a decorated career, including one UEFA Champions League title with Manchester United and three more with Real Madrid, along with multiple league titles in the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. He has also won three trophies with Portugal.

Still, all of that falls short of matching Lionel Messi. The forward from Rosario is the most decorated player in soccer history, with 46 titles across Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team.