Inter Miami midfielder Casemiro was left in awe of Lionel Messi after the 39-year-old Argentine legend scored four goals in their latest 7-1 win over CF Montreal.
Messi proved at the 2026 FIFA World Cup that he is still one of the best players in the world, carrying Argentina to the Final with incredible production throughout the tournament.
After a short offseason where he dealt with losing the Final and his father’s death, Messi is still dominating on the field and leaving his teammates amazed.
Lionel Messi’s performance leads to Casemiro calling him the best
Casemiro spoke to the media after the win and highlighted the importance of appreciating these moments of magic from Messi as his career winds down, admitting that Messi is still the best player in the world.
“This is what it means to have Messi on your team. We must enjoy these moments because he is a person and a player who makes history. What we saw today, we must enjoy and continue to support him, and continue to compete with him, because he remains the best. And he proved that in the World Cup, and we must enjoy it with him, because with him we are truly much stronger.”
As we have seen during Messi’s stints at Barcelona and with his national team, he evokes strong loyalty from his teammates purely because they acknowledge he is the best player on their team.
The win over Montreal saw Casemiro play as a defender, but he also managed his first goal in the MLS with a header to open the scoring in this frenetic affair.
Messi scored two direct free kicks as part of his four-goal performance, and also created an assist for Luis Suarez in this 7-1 win.
Lionel Messi and Casemiro used to be rivals
Casemiro has just played six games alongside Messi and is already speaking in such glowing terms for the 39-year-old legend. This is noteworthy since they have been career-long rivals.
Casemiro is a Real Madrid legend and spent his prime as their key defensive midfielder, competing against Messi for eight of the nine seasons he spent in the Spanish capital.
Not only did Casemiro play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo on those Madrid squads against Messi’s Barcelona, but he also represents Brazil internationally, the bitter national rivals to Messi’s Argentina.
Pure footballing skills transcend these locker room loyalties, as Casemiro joins a long list of old Messi rivals who cannot help but be amazed at his incredible skill and production.
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