A ninth Ballon d’Or is unlikely for Messi after Argentina were defeated by Spain in the World Cup final last month, meaning the legendary winger will have to wait until next year to add to his impressive collection.
The 39 year old was joined by former Real Madrid star Casemiro this summer, the iconic midfielder who played alongside Messi’s greatest rival Cristiano Ronaldo for several years in the Spanish capital.
Casemiro has shared the pitch with Messi plenty of times as an opponent, but he now plays alongside the former Barcelona winger as they compete for more silverware in the US.
Speaking on competing with Messi, Casemiro admitted that it was a dream come true to play with such an icon.
"The amount of trouble Messi gave me," Casemiro admitted. “Of course, I dreamed of playing with him, I always wanted to play with the best. I could never stop him, I always needed the help of my teammates.
"I am very happy to be alongside him now and I want to continue winning titles with him. I want to enjoy being alongside him, help him and make him even greater. He is one of the gods of football, if not the God of football himself, and I want to help."
Inter Miami have continued to build around Messi with experienced stars, adding Casemiro to a squad that already includes Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez to a squad who won the MLS Cup and Campeones Cup last year.