Casemiro says his primary reason for joining Inter Miami was to play alongside the "God of football" Lionel Messi, who he regards as the greatest player of all time.

Casemiro made his MLS debut in a 1-0 victory over CF Montreal last weekend, with Luis Suarez scoring the only goal from the penalty spot.

That was Miami's sixth straight victory, lifting them within two points of Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC, ahead of hosting the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

Messi has not appeared for Miami since the World Cup break, having been granted an extended holiday after leading Argentina to the final, where they lost to Spain.

He returned to training with Guillermo Hoyos' side on Wednesday, though it remains to be seen whether he will be involved against Columbus, which will be Miami's final match in MLS play prior to the Leagues Cup break.

And Casemiro cannot wait to step out alongside the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, whenever that moment comes. 

"For me, without a doubt, I am coming only to play with the best player of all time," Casemiro told reporters on Thursday at his introductory press conference. 

"I want to enjoy it, I want to help him to keep winning, because he is a winner. Another player is joining who wants to win, who wants to compete.

"I am where I want to be in MLS. I left Manchester United as a free agent, I had options in Italy, other teams in different places, but I am where I want to be. 

"I want to enjoy being with him, helping him win and making him even bigger. He's one of, if not the God of football, and I want to help."

Casemiro has shared the pitch with Messi plenty of times, albeit as an opponent, when the Brazilian was playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Casemiro and Messi both started in 11 Clasico games during their respective stints in Spain, with Barcelona winning five of those and Madrid triumphing four times (two draws) – Messi scored five goals in those matches. 

"The amount of problems Messi gave me, of course I dreamed of playing with him," Casemiro said. "I always wanted to play with the best. 

"I could never stop him; I always needed help from my team-mates. I am very happy that I am now with him, and I want to keep winning with him."

Columbus are 11th in the East ahead of their trip to Fort Lauderdale, three points adrift of the playoff picture.

They earned their first victory since the World Cup break last Saturday, defeating Ohio rivals FC Cincinnati 2-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Luis Suarez

Suarez has scored six goals in his last three MLS appearances, including scoring the lone goal in Miami's victory at Montreal last time out. 

The Uruguayan has 39 goals in 68 regular-season appearances, with only eight players scoring more since Suarez made his MLS debut in 2024.

Columbus Crew – Daniel Gazdag

Gazdag scored from the penalty spot for the second straight match in the Crew's win over Cincinnati last Saturday. 

That was his 27th career penalty goal, equalling Chris Wondolowski for the third-most in MLS history. Only Jaime Moreno (44) and Landon Donovan (31) have scored more from the spot.

MATCH PREDICTION – INTER MIAMI WIN

Columbus have won two of their last three regular-season matches, including their derby victory over Cincinnati. Since the beginning of July 2025, Columbus have only won consecutive MLS games once, beating the LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union in April.

But they face a daunting task here, with Miami having won six straight regular-season matches for the first time in club history. 

The only team to win seven consecutive regular-season matches since the beginning of last season is Charlotte FC, who won nine in a row from July to September 2025.

Miami have also won six of their last seven regular-season matches against the Crew (D1), including their last four meetings in a row. 

The Herons have only once enjoyed a five-match winning streak against a single opponent in MLS play, doing so against Toronto FC in 2021 and 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 54.1%

Columbus Crew – 24.9%

Draw – 21%