It's the biggest men's soccer match in the United States since the 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy. On Saturday, Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet in the second ever El Clasico outside of Spain. Lionel Messi will be there, we expect Neymar to be there despite his transfer saga, but guess who won't be there: Cristiano Ronaldo.
According to the Miami Herald, the chairman of the company that organized the match says Ronaldo is a no-go, failing to return from his promotional tour of Asia.
"Unfortunately, Ronaldo's personal commitments precluded him from being here," Relevent Sports chairman Charlie Stillitano told the Herald. "He really wanted to be here. This is not a diva situation. He was hoping that he could make it. He waited until today to let us know, but it just didn't work out. Mr. [Stephen] Ross did everything possible to get him here, and Cristiano said he was very grateful for that. I'm extremely disappointed, but we still have the two best teams and the top stars minus one."
There's no sugarcoating this -- it sucks for the fans. While many Barcelona fans could probably care less if Ronaldo is there, Real Madrid fans aren't going to the game to see Mateo Kovacic. It certainly won't feel like a real Clasico without him there, and certainly won't be as exciting for Real Madrid fans, with most wanting to see who is likely next year's Ballon d'Or winner.
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