FORT LAUDERDALE — When Micael stepped into Inter Miami’s locker room last month, he knew he was joining the reigning MLS Cup champions. What he didn’t expect was how meeting Lionel Messi for the first time would hit him like a thunderbolt.
“I was eager to get here and meet Messi,” the 25-year-old Brazilian center-back admitted to the Miami Herald. “When I spoke with him for the first time, it was a little surprising, emotional. I felt goosebumps.”
That raw, heartfelt reaction from the new loan signing from SE Palmeiras has sent ripples through the Herons’ fanbase — a reminder that even seasoned professionals can be starstruck by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Micael, who arrived in South Florida on a season-long loan for 2026, is no wide-eyed rookie. He already has MLS experience with Houston Dynamo (80 appearances, three goals, 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner, and Defender of the Year honors) and faced Messi’s Inter Miami in last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup while with Palmeiras. Yet standing face-to-face with the Argentine icon still left him momentarily speechless.
The defender wasted no time making an impact, earning his debut in a 2-1 preseason victory over Atlético Nacional in Medellín, Colombia, earlier this month. Messi played 76 minutes alongside him as Luis Suárez and an own goal erased an early deficit. Micael looked right at home, calm and composed in the backline.
“I felt good in my debut game in Colombia,” he said. “I felt comfortable.”
Inter Miami’s preseason has been a mixed bag so far: a 3-0 defeat to Allianz Lima in Peru, followed by the bounce-back win in Colombia. The Herons will close out their South American tour this Sunday against Barcelona SC in Guayaquil, Ecuador, before returning stateside.
The real tests begin February 21, when Messi and company kick off the 2026 MLS campaign on the road against LAFC. The first four league matches are all away from home — a brutal early schedule — before Inter Miami christens the brand-new Miami Freedom Park Stadium with their home opener on April 4.
For Micael, the chance to line up alongside Messi every week is the opportunity of a lifetime. And if his emotional first encounter with the legend is any indication, the Brazilian is ready to ride the shock wave all season long.