Casemiro delivered a huge verdict on Lionel Messi after watching the Argentine score four goals and provide an assist in Inter Miami’s historic 7-1 victory over CF Montréal.
Casemiro makes huge Lionel Messi declaration after four-goal Montréal masterclass
Casemiro has made a bold declaration about Lionel Messi after watching the Inter Miami captain produce a spectacular four-goal performance against CF Montréal.
Messi scored four times and provided another assist as Inter Miami demolished Montréal 7-1 in one of the most dominant performances of the MLS season.
But it was Casemiro’s reaction after the match that quickly attracted attention.
The former Real Madrid midfielder insisted that Messi “continues to be the best.”
Casemiro delivers huge verdict on Messi
Speaking after the match, Casemiro was asked about the extraordinary performance produced by his Inter Miami teammate.
The Brazilian praised Messi’s ability to continue creating historic moments even at this stage of his career.
Casemiro said that everyone around the team should appreciate the opportunity to play alongside a player capable of producing performances like this.
His strongest message was simple: Messi “continues to be the best.”
A remarkable statement from a former Real Madrid star
The comments carry additional significance because of Casemiro’s footballing history.
The Brazilian spent some of the best years of his career at Real Madrid, while Messi was the defining superstar of Barcelona.
The pair faced each other repeatedly in El Clásico during one of the fiercest periods of the rivalry between the two Spanish giants.
Casemiro spent years trying to stop Messi. Now he is publicly calling him the best while playing alongside him.
From rivals to Inter Miami teammates
The relationship between Messi and Casemiro has changed dramatically.
For years, they were rivals at both club and international level.
Real Madrid against Barcelona provided countless confrontations, while Brazil and Argentina added another layer of rivalry in South American football.
They are now teammates at Inter Miami and attempting to compete for trophies together.
That history makes Casemiro’s latest praise particularly striking.
Messi gives Casemiro plenty of evidence
Casemiro’s comments came immediately after one of Messi’s greatest performances since moving to Major League Soccer.
The Argentine scored four goals and added one assist in the 7-1 demolition of Montréal.
Two of his goals came directly from free kicks, while he was involved in five of Miami’s seven goals.
It was the first four-goal performance of Messi’s MLS career.
Messi entered the match under unusual pressure
The performance was even more impressive because of the circumstances before kick-off.
Messi had gone four consecutive club appearances without a victory.
Another failure to win would have moved him onto five straight winless appearances, matching one of the longest such runs of his club career.
Instead, Messi responded with four goals and an assist.
Rather than matching an unwanted record, he produced another historic night.
Casemiro says Miami are stronger with Messi
Casemiro did not limit his comments to individual praise.
He also highlighted how much better Inter Miami become when Messi is available and performing at his highest level.
The Brazilian believes the squad must continue supporting Messi and taking advantage of the opportunity to compete alongside him.
For Casemiro, Messi’s influence goes far beyond his individual statistics.
Casemiro points to Messi’s World Cup success
The midfielder also referenced Messi’s achievements at international level when discussing his status.
Messi led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and has continued to perform at the highest level for his national team since then.
Casemiro appeared to use those achievements as further evidence of why he continues to rate the Argentine so highly.
His verdict was not based on one MLS match alone.
Casemiro has praised Messi before
This is not the first time Casemiro has spoken in extraordinary terms about his new teammate.
After joining Inter Miami, the Brazilian described Messi as one of football’s greatest figures and reflected on how difficult it had been to defend against him during their years in Spain.
Training and playing alongside Messi appears to have strengthened that admiration rather than reduced it.
The Montréal performance gave Casemiro another opportunity to make his feelings clear.
Casemiro scores but puts spotlight on Messi
Casemiro also had an important individual moment against Montréal.
The Brazilian scored his first goal for Inter Miami during the emphatic victory.
Yet after the final whistle, much of his attention was directed toward Messi rather than his own achievement.
That underlined the scale of the performance produced by the Argentine captain.
Messi continues rewriting MLS records
The four-goal display also added several new milestones to Messi’s MLS career.
He moved to 18 league goals for the season and continued his push for the Golden Boot.
Messi also became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 20 matches with at least two goals, achieving the mark after only 72 appearances.
At 39 years old, he continues to produce numbers that place him among the league’s most dominant players.
Inter Miami make history too
Messi’s performance helped Inter Miami record a historic result.
The 7-1 victory represented the biggest winning margin in the club’s history and ended a difficult five-match winless run.
Miami had entered the game under growing pressure following a series of disappointing results.
One extraordinary night completely transformed the mood.
Inter Miami coach also stunned by Messi
Casemiro was not alone in struggling to find enough praise for Messi.
Inter Miami’s coaching staff also reacted with admiration after the match.
Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos suggested that words were becoming increasingly difficult to find when attempting to describe what Messi continues to produce.
The reaction inside the club reflected the same feeling. Messi had delivered something exceptional once again.
Is Messi really still the best in the world?
Casemiro’s statement will inevitably create debate.
Messi is now 39 and playing outside European football, while a new generation of superstars has emerged across the world’s biggest leagues.
Players such as Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and other elite talents are competing for recognition at the very top of the sport.
For that reason, calling Messi “the best” remains a matter of opinion.
But Casemiro’s perspective carries weight because he has experienced Messi from both sides. First as an opponent, and now as a teammate.
Casemiro’s verdict adds another layer to Messi masterclass
The story after Montréal is no longer only about four goals.
Messi produced one of the greatest performances of his MLS career, helped Inter Miami return to winning ways and broke further records.
Then one of his most famous former rivals delivered one of the strongest compliments possible.
Casemiro spent years competing against Lionel Messi with Real Madrid and Brazil. Now, after watching him score four goals for Inter Miami, the Brazilian has made his verdict clear: Messi “continues to be the best.”
