Casemiro admitted he dreamed of playing in the same team as Lionel Messi

Renowned midfielder Casemiro spoke about a new chapter in his career, the opportunity to play alongside Lionel Messi, and painful defeats with the national team. Known for his stellar performances for Manchester United and Real Madrid, the experienced footballer joined MLS side Inter Miami as a free agent and made his debut for his new club, Goal.com reports .

According to ESPN, despite receiving offers from several European clubs, including Italy, the 34-year-old Brazilian's primary goal was to move to the Miami outfit. As a result, he joined a star-studded team where he will play alongside his former rivals Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.

From fierce pitch rival to loyal teammate

Casemiro, who faced Lionel Messi many times in intense El Clásico matches in the Spanish La Liga, praised the Argentine forward as one of the greatest figures in the football world. According to him, stopping Messi alone was an impossible task, and he always had to rely on the help of his teammates.

«You can't imagine how many headaches Messi caused me,» Casemiro says. «Of course, I always dreamed of playing alongside the best. It was impossible to stop him single-handedly. Now I am very happy to be by his side and want to continue winning trophies together. He is one of the football gods, or even the god of football himself».

Painful memories of the World Cup

The Brazilian footballer also recalled the painful defeat suffered against the Norway national team at the 2026 World Cup. Erling Haaland's performance in that match, where he scored a brace and put an end to Brazil's campaign in the tournament, left a great impression on Casemiro.

«What happened at the World Cup... we are talking about Haaland, one of the best number 9s in the world, and he scored two goals,» added the experienced midfielder. He emphasized that in his childhood he never even imagined playing in three World Cups for Brazil, yet he is proud to have had such an opportunity.