Casemiro hails Lionel Messi after poker and assist in Inter Miami vs. Montreal: ‘He’s still the best’

Lionel Messi proved to be the decisive catalyst in leading Inter Miami back to the winning column, delivering a four-goal masterclass and an assist in a blowout victory over CF Montreal. Following the dominant display, star midfielder Casemiro offered high praise for the Argentine icon, declaring, “He’s still the best.“

Inter Miami had been mired in one of their most difficult stretches of the season, dropping four matches and drawing once over a five-game slide that featured an early exit from the Leagues Cup and lost ground in the 2026 Supporters’ Shield race. However, as he has done since arriving in South Florida, Messi provided the spark to jumpstart the Herons.

Although Casemiro opened the scoring with a 20th-minute header, Fabian Herbers quickly answered with an equalizer to create early tension at Nu Stadium. Starting with a set-piece strike in the 40th minute, Messi took complete control of the match, adding goals in the 52nd, 83rd, and 90+6 minutes while setting up Luis Suarez in the 80th to seal a 7-1 rout for the hosts over Montreal.

Speaking to Apple TV post-match, Casemiro reflected on the team’s bounce-back effort and pivoted immediately to Messi’s brilliance: “We played well, we put in a good match. This is what having Messi on your team is all about. You have to enjoy these moments, because he is a person… a player who makes history.”

Messi set a franchise benchmark on the night, becoming the first player in Inter Miami history to score four goals in a single match. “What we saw today, we have to enjoy it. Keep supporting him and keep competing with him, because he is still the best and he proved it in the World Cup. We have to enjoy being with him because with him we are much stronger,” Casemiro concluded.

Inter Miami experienced an emotional slump following the passing of Messi’s father in early August, during which the forward’s production temporarily dipped below his standard form. Casemiro’s public show of support highlights a unified locker room rallying around their captain as they pursue hardware in the final stretch of 2026.

Messi continues to rewrite the MLS record book

Netting two of his four goals directly from free kicks elevated Messi into a tie for second place on soccer’s all-time set-piece scoring list, adding another milestone to his legendary career. At the same time, the performance established yet another landmark within Major League Soccer.

By scoring four goals on Saturday, Lionel Messi became the fastest player in MLS history to record 20 multi-goal games, reaching the milestone in just 72 matches. The Argentine surpassed the previous standard held by former teammate Josef Martinez, who reached 20 multi-goal games in 100 matches, while outpacing iconic figures like Robbie Keane (124), Bradley Wright-Phillips (149), and Landon Donovan (178).