’God of Soccer’—Casemiro Reveals First Impression of Training Alongside Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul are back with Inter Miami after taking more than a week off after losing the 2026 World Cup final with Argentina, and both could feature on Saturday against Columbus Crew at Nu Stadium.

While the Herons have secured two wins over the Chicago Fire and CF Montréal without the two Argentines, the star duo—and in particular Messi, the two-time defending MLS MVP—elevate their potential, as they look to work their way into the lead in the Supporters’ Shield race.

Having returned to training earlier this week after spending time away from the team and skipping the MLS All-Star Game, Messi and De Paul’s status remains in question for how much they may be involved against Columbus. Still, their addition brings plenty of hope to the group that is in the midst of the best regular form it has seen, having won the last six matches.

“We’ve been talking, in that regard. He only just got back. We haven’t really had the chance to have a proper conversation yet,” Miami manager Guillermo Hoyos told reporters in Spanish on Friday. “We’re genuinely happy that they’ve returned and are back at the club. It's great to see them here.”

Despite missing the last two matches, Messi remains in the hunt for the MLS Golden Boot with 12 goals in 14 games, only one back from FC Dallas’s Petar Musa for the league lead. At the same time, he is the midseason favorite for the MLS MVP Award, with 20 goal contributions in those 14 games.

Should he and De Paul not return to action on Saturday, their next opportunity to play would come Wednesday in the team’s first match of the 2026 Leagues Cup, a trophy Inter Miami won in 2023, against Liga MX’s Atlético San Luis.

“I think it’s very tough, simply because of the sheer volume of matches; there’s going to be a real congestion of games over several weeks, leaving very little time to catch your breath or rest," Hoyos added. “It’s basically just: match, game, rest, game, and so on. It’s difficult; the match load is heavy and takes a real toll; competition itself is draining.”

Casemiro: Messi is a ’God’ of Soccer

The week has brought intense focus to Inter Miami training sessions as the club ramps back up with the entire group back. It has brought the first moments on the pitch between new star midfield signing Casemiro, alongside Messi, De Paul and Luis Suárez, among other standouts.

After impressing in his MLS debut in a 1–0 road win over CF Montréal last weekend, despite not having trained with the team at the point, Casemiro now has a full week of practice under his belt and was officially presented to a group of 500 supporters at Nu Stadium on Thursday.

Following his presentation, he said that Messi was “one of the gods, if not the god of football,” and that “it’s incredible,” after training alongside him for two days.

“Having played against Leo before, I already knew he was impossible to stop, but these two days have given me a lot of motivation to keep growing, to keep winning,” he added. “Honestly, I'm enjoying this, and I’m glad I’m on his side of things now. I want to keep enjoying this moment.”

POV: Morning greetings with the squad 😁☀️ pic.twitter.com/1ZAodv1BW4
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) July 29, 2026

With his addition, Miami solidifies the middle of the park, and it will allow De Paul to take on a more attack-focused role on the right side of midfield. In contrast, Casemiro takes on the central defensive duties that De Paul had stepped into after Sergio Busquets retired.

“A lot of people think MLS is a league that still has a long way to grow, but you have to remember the best player of the last World Cup plays in this league,” Casemiro added of Messi’s performances.

“Leo was the best player of the World Cup, and he is in MLS. So all I want to do is enjoy this, give everything to feel comfortable on the field, because for me he’s the best player in the world, and he is arrived at this moment in his career.”

While the Herons remain under investigation by MLS for potential tampering in acquiring the Brazilian veteran, it’s clear he will be a key piece of the future—and managing owner Jorge Mas denied any wrongdoing in the acquisition process, despite Miami’s previous player acquisition struggles.

“We entered into no negotiation or conversations with Casemiro or his representatives prior to us talking to the league and talking to the LA Galaxy about working out how we’re able to be given a green light,” Mas said. “Supposedly, we violated the rule while we were negotiating with the Galaxy. There was an accusation made, which we did not tamper whatsoever.”

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