Casemiro is one of the lucky players to share a dressing room with one of the two greatest players of recent generations, as the Brazilian shared success at Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo, who he also played alongside at Manchester United.

Casemiro, who lifted the Champions League trophy five times during his time at Real Madrid, was asked whether the Messi era at Barcelona had been overshadowed by Los Blancos’ dominance of Europe’s premier competition.

“It’s hard to say. Messi is one of the best players in history, but we have another, Cristiano Ronaldo. What they did is unforgettable. In my generation, the best were Cristiano, Messi… and I would add Neymar a little bit after them. I would put him on the podium. But what Cristiano did for football and how he changed it is huge,” Casemiro told AS.

“Just as Guardiola changed football with tiki-taka, these two have changed it too. 50 goals a season and it seems normal. Those two players will forever be in the memory. But we won the Champions Leagues with Zinedine Zidane, who also marked an era,” he concluded on the matter.

The Manchester United midfielder also spoke about Kylian Mbappe’s struggles to adapt after moving to Real Madrid. “Yes, but now he’s settled, and he’s going to score 30 or 40 goals a year. Young guys, like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, or Fede—who I admire a lot for the way they play and give their all—know how to wait for their moment. And the moment always comes. The adaptation of young players supported by veterans explains how things work there.”