Brazil midfielder Casemiro (5) waves to fans after defeating Scotland in their World Cup Group C soccer match at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Photo by Matias J. Ocner
mocner@miamiherald.com
Inter Miami announced Wednesday the long-awaited signing of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro, but not without controversy. MLS is investigating a tampering allegation against the club, which could lead to sanctions.
“Major League Soccer is reviewing a tampering allegation against Inter Miami CF,” the MLS statement read. “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.”
Under MLS rules, a club is not allowed to have contact with a player on another team’s “discovery list” and the LA Galaxy had priority to negotiate with Casemiro under MLS’s “discovery rights” rule, which is meant to prevent teams from engaging in bidding wars over players. Teams can have up to five players on their discovery lists.
If a club wants to sign a player on the discovery list of another club it may offer that club $50,000 in general allocation money in exchange for the right to sign the player.
The club with the player on its discovery list then has five days (or three days during the secondary transfer window) to either accept the $50,000 and pass on the right to sign the player or make the player a reasonable offer. At that point, if a deal is not reached, the two clubs negotiate for the right to sign the player.
Last summer, The Vancouver Whitecaps acquired the MLS discovery rights for German and Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller from FC Cincinnati for $400,000.
According to a source with knowledge of the Inter Miami and Galaxy negotiations, the fee Miami must pay to the Galaxy is significantly higher. If MLS imposes sanctions, the deal could be even more costly.
Casemiro, 34, a five-time UEFA Champions League-winning midfielder, joins Inter Miami as a free agent and will remain under contract through May 2027 with an extension option until June 2029. He played for Brazil in the World Cup this summer.
Managing owner Jorge Mas said: “Casemiro’s arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami. We never settle. We’re always looking to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season. We’ve built a global club with the vision of becoming not only the best club in the United States, but also a benchmark globally.”
Casemiro spent the past three years with Manchester United and eight years before that with Real Madrid, where he was one of the best defensive midfielders in the game.
“What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow,” Casemiro said. “The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me. I’m incredibly grateful, and I can’t wait to get started.”
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Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, NCAA Basketball Tournaments, NBA Playoffs, Super Bowls and has been the soccer writer and University of Miami basketball beat writer for 25 years. She was born in Frederick, Md., and grew up in Miami.