Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has described Lionel Messi as the “god of football” and revealed that the opportunity to play alongside the Argentina superstar was a major reason behind his decision to join Inter Miami.
The 34-year-old midfielder completed his move to the MLS club as a free agent last week after leaving Manchester United. He has signed a contract through the 2027 MLS season, with an option to extend his stay until June 2029.
Casemiro admitted that he had several offers after ending his spell at Manchester United but ultimately chose Inter Miami because of the chance to share the pitch with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.
“For me, without a doubt, I am coming only to play with the best player of all time,” Casemiro told reporters.
“I want to enjoy, I want to help him to keep winning because he is a winner. Another player is joining who wants to win, who wants to compete.”
🇧🇷🗣 Casemiro:
“For me, without a doubt, my favourite thing was playing with Messi.
I want to enjoy it. I want to win because he’s a winner, and when you’re alongside another player who wants to win and compete, that’s what drives you.
Winning and losing are always very close,… https://t.co/3eG4Z2Or8q
— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) July 30, 2026
Casemiro went on to make his admiration for Messi even clearer, describing the Argentine as one of football’s greatest-ever figures.
“He’s one of, if not the god of football and I want to help,” the Brazilian added.
The move marks a remarkable change in circumstances for Casemiro, who spent nine seasons at Real Madrid and regularly faced Messi during the fierce El Clasico rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Brazilian admitted that Messi had caused him plenty of problems during those encounters but said he had always dreamed of playing alongside the Argentine.
“The amount of problems Messi gave me, of course I dreamed of playing with him,” Casemiro said. “I always wanted to play with the best. I could never stop him, I always needed help from my teammates.”
Casemiro has already made his Inter Miami debut, featuring in the club’s 1-0 victory over CF Montreal in Canada. He will now hope to make his first appearance at the club’s home ground when Inter Miami face Columbus Crew.
Inter Miami have won their last two matches since the MLS resumed following the World Cup and currently sit second in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings with 37 points, two behind Nashville SC.
Messi, meanwhile, has yet to return to competitive action for Miami after starring for Argentina at the World Cup. The 37-year-old scored eight goals as Argentina reached the final, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain. He returned to training with Inter Miami on Wednesday, but his date of return to the lineup remains uncertain.
Casemiro, who played all five matches for Brazil at the World Cup, will now look to help Miami challenge for more silverware alongside the player he considers the “god of football.”
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
