Inter Miami Signs Casemiro Amid MLS Tampering Investigation

Inter Miami have signed Casemiro as a free agent, but Major League Soccer is investigating the South Florida side for potential tampering in the process of acquiring the Brazilian midfielder.

Casemiro has signed what amounts to a one-year contract with Miami, beginning now and ending at the conclusion of the 2027 “sprint season” that precedes the league’s switch to a fall-to-spring calendar in 2027-28. There is an option for an extension that would see the Brazilian stay in Miami through the 2028-29 MLS season.

Both the club and league announcement said that Inter Miami had acquired the discovery rights to Casemiro from the Los Angeles Galaxy. The league did not specify how or under what terms Miami acquired Casemiro’s discovery priority.

“Major League Soccer is reviewing a tampering allegation against Inter Miami CF,” the MLS statement said. “The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete. While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the Discovery Priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation.”

Casemiro, a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, recently completed a four-season stint at Manchester United. He played with Brazil at the 2026 World Cup as the Seleçao were eliminated by Norway in the last 16. A strong defensive midfielder, Casemiro joins an Inter Miami side already boasting Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez as the stars of a team defending their 2025 MLS Cup title win.

In MLS, most major player acquisitions from outside the league are handled via the discovery process. In the discovery process, each team maintains a list of up to five players for whom they have priority to sign should they decide to come to the league. However, that does not mean that only that club can sign that player – MLS clubs can work out deals with each other to transfer the discovery rights from one club to the other, enabling the other to enter into negotiations with the player. Marco Reus, for example, was initially on Charlotte FC’s discovery list when the LA Galaxy sought to sign him in 2024, resulting in the Galaxy paying Charlotte $400,000 for Reus’ discovery rights.

MLS’s announcement of the investigation into Inter Miami did not specify whether the tampering charge concerned any negotiations Inter Miami may have had with Casemiro directly before acquiring his discovery rights, or whether it was focused more on the acquisition of the discovery rights.

The 34-year-old is considered one of the best midfielders of his generation. The São Paulo native moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and went on to win those five Champions League titles in addition to three La Liga crowns and a Copa del Rey. His biggest success with Manchester United came in winning the 2023-24 FA Cup.

“Casemiro embodies everything this club stands for: leadership, a winning mentality, and an extraordinary track record at the highest level of the game,” Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said in the club’s announcement.

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham added: “He is a person and a player that I have admired for a long time. He is a winner who has achieved so much in the game and after such an incredible career with Real Madrid and Manchester United I’m delighted that he’s decided to make Miami his next home.”