NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Cristiano Ronaldo won't play vs. Lionel Messi, Inter Miami. Will soccer greats meet again?

Lionel Messi and NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank CenterCristiano Ronaldo have played against each other 37 times in their illustrious soccer careers.

But they won’t have one "Last Dance" as soccer fans worldwide hoped to see this week.

Ronaldo’s calf injury will keep him out of Thursday’s match between Messi’s Inter Miami and Al Nassr in the Riyadh Season Cup in Saudi Arabia, Al Nassr coach Luis Castro told reporters on Wednesday.

Thursday’s match between Inter Miami and Al Nassr begins at 1 p.m. ET and will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

The disappointing news leaves the question: Will soccer fans worldwide get to see Ronaldo and Messi play against each other again?

Here’s the latest on Ronaldo’s calf injury

Ronaldo’s coach told reporters on Wednesday:

Ronaldo "is in the final part of his recovery to join the group. We hope that in the next few days he can start working with the team. He will be absent from the game," Castro said.

Ronaldo’s injury was first revealed on Jan. 23 when Al Nassr was forced to cancel two preseason friendlies in China due to the injury.

Could Ronaldo, Messi meet again in 2025?

While Ronaldo and Al Nassr intend to reschedule their China trip, there’s no immediate plans to reschedule a potential match between Ronaldo and Messi.

Thursday’s match was touted as "The Last Dance" and could have been the final time Ronaldo and Messi grace the pitch against each other.

If they were to meet again, a likely scenario could be at the Riyadh Season Cup in 2025.

Messi has played in the last two Riyadh Season Cups, where he faced Ronaldo last year, and has a major fan base in Saudi Arabia. Messi recently starred in a commercial for Saudi tourism.

Messi and Inter Miami could be open to another trip to Saudi Arabia for their 2025 preseason, and a matchup against Ronaldo and Al Nassr would earn the same hype and excitement as this year’s matchup before Ronaldo’s injury.

Messi is under contract with Inter Miami through 2025, while Ronaldo is under contract with Al Nassr through June 2025. But will their health hold up?

When was the last time Messi and Ronaldo played against each other?

It may have been an exhibition, and not the competitive matches Spanish football fans around the world have enjoyed during their careers. But Messi and Ronaldo left fans even more enamored after the last matchup.

Ronaldo scored two goals among a team of Saudi All-Stars, but lost 5-4 to Messi, who scored one for his old team Paris Saint-Germain, during the Riyadh Season Cup last January.

Messi scored three minutes into the match, his first since leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo answered in the 34^th minute, and scored a penalty kick in extra time during the first half. They played 60 minutes during the match.

Who is the GOAT? Messi and Ronaldo head-to-head history

Although Ronaldo and Messi won't meet again this year, let's recap their head-to-head history after meeting last year.

Messi leads the head-to-head battle against Ronaldo in goals (22-21) and record (16 wins, 9 draws, 11 losses) across La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercopa and International Friendlies from 2008-20.

But if you include last year’s exhibition, Messi and Ronaldo are tied with 23 goals each.

Still, soccer fans have their preference as to who’s the greatest of all time.