New Inter Miami centre-back Micael shared his experience on interacting with club icon Lionel Messi after arriving at the Herons last month. The Brazilian has been signed on loan from Brasileiro Serie A side SE Palmeiras for the 2026 season.
Micael, 25, is coming off a decent 2025 season with the Green and White, registering an assist in 28 games across competitions, including a FIFA Club World Cup clash with Messi’s Miami last summer.
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Coming in with prior MLS experience – with the Houston Dynamo – Micael said that he was keen for an opportunity to play with the legendary Messi in South Florida (as per Miami Herald):
“I was eager to get here and meet Messi, this was the MLS champion team, so I was looking forward to meeting everyone. When I spoke with Messi for the first time, it was a little surprising, emotional. I felt good in my debut game in Colombia. I felt comfortable.”
Micael scored three times in 80 appearances across competitions in two seasons for Houston before departing for Palmeiras last year in a club-record move, having won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2023 and Defender of the Year honour.
Meanwhile, Messi and Co. open their 2026 MLS campaign on February 21 at LAFC – and their next four games on the road – before playing their first home game at their new Miami Freedom Park Stadium on April 4.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami’s 2026 pre-season schedule
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami opened their pre-season with a 3-0 loss to Allianz Lima at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in Lima, Peru, in January. Paulo Guerrero netted a first-half brace before Luis Ramos put the result beyond doubt 17 minutes from time.
The Herons, though, bounced back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Atletico Nacional at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medelin, Colombia, earlier this month, where Micael made his Herons debut, with Messi playing 76 minutes.
Following Juan Manuel Rengifo’s first-half opener, Luis Suarez equalised for the visitors before midfielder Elkin Rivero beat his own goalkeeper in stoppage time to give Miami the win.
Lionel Messi and Co. next take on Barcelona SC at the Monumental Banco Pichincha in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Sunday to close their pre-season.
Edited by Bhargav
