The Manchester United midfielder, who will part ways with the Red Devils in the summer, spoke about Messi and Ronaldo amid Inter Miami links
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has a unique perspective when it comes to the age old Leo Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate, having played against one and played with the other.
As the Brazilian is now linked with a move to Inter Miami where he would feature alongside Messi, in what would be a welcome relief for the midfielder based on his former comments on the Argentine.
Casemiro won four Champions League titles alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid during Los Blancos’ period of European dominance, whilst enduring over a decade of intense Clasico battles against Messi’s Barcelona.
However, when pressed directly on who deserves recognition as the greatest, Casemiro diplomatically avoided choosing between them whilst elevating Neymar into the elite tier.
“Messi has been one of the greatest in history, but we also had Cristiano,” Casemiro told Diario AS. “What they did is unmatched. These two changed football; they scored 50 goals per season, and it seemed normal. In my generation, the best have been Cristiano, Messi… and just behind them is Neymar, he would be on the podium.”
Admission that stopping Messi proved impossible
Beyond diplomatic assessments, Casemiro offered remarkably honest testimony about the futility of attempting to contain Messi during their numerous encounters.
His admission carries particular weight given he’s regarded as one of his generation’s finest defensive midfielders, someone whose primary responsibility involved disrupting opposition playmakers.
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“I played against Messi many times, but I was never able to stop him. It’s impossible,” Casemiro confessed. “I had help from Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos… but it was impossible for me alone. Just like [Kylian] Mbappé today.”
Dosen’t matter how old Casemiro is, his ball winning ability is still top
pic.twitter.com/PFZnD5FMwa— Klaus (@UTDKlaus) February 25, 2026
Casemiro’s career trajectory provided him with perspectives few others can claim. His Real Madrid years meant training daily with Ronaldo whilst preparing specifically for matches against Messi, giving him intimate knowledge of both players’ qualities, work ethics, and competitive mentalities.
He also faced Messi whilst representing Brazil internationally, adding further encounters to his extensive experience battling the forward.
His brief reunion with Ronaldo at Manchester United during the 2022/23 campaign’s first half, before the Portuguese star’s mid-season exit to Al Nassr, provided additional context about how Ronaldo approached the latter stages of his career compared to his Real Madrid prime.
