Casemiro joins Lionel Messi at Inter Miami on free transfer in major MLS coup

Brazil midfielder Casemiro has joined Inter Miami on a free transfer, teaming up with Lionel Messi after years of facing him in El Clasico battles between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Major League Soccer club confirmed on Wednesday that the 34-year-old has signed a contract until the end of the 2027 season, with an option to extend his deal until June 2029. He will be available to play once his work visa is approved.

Casemiro, who left Manchester United at the end of last season when his contract expired, will wear the No 5 shirt for the Florida club.

‘What drives me is winning’

The Brazil international said he was excited to begin a new chapter in his career in the United States, stressing that his hunger for more trophies was decisive in choosing Inter Miami.

Casemiro told the club’s website: “ما يحفزني دايما هو الفوز والاستمرار في التطور. المشروع الذي قدمه لي النادي، والجهود التي بذلت لاتمام الصفقة، يعنيان الكثير بالنسبة لي”.

He added: “انا ممتن للغاية لهذه الثقة، واتطلع الى ردها داخل الملعب وخارجه، سواء في المباريات او خلال التدريبات اليومية. ساقدم كل ما لدي من اجل النادي وجماهيره”.

The move brings together two of the dominant figures of the last decade of European football, with Casemiro and Messi now on the same side after multiple high-stakes encounters in Spain’s Clasico.

Beckham hails ‘serial winner’ signing

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham welcomed the arrival of the former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder, describing him as one of the most accomplished players of his generation.

Beckham said: “انا سعيد للغاية بانضمام كاسيميرو وعايلته الى انتر ميامي. لطالما اعجبت به لاعبا وشخصا. انه بطل اعتاد الفوز، وبعد مسيرة استثنايية مع ريال مدريد ومانشستر يونايتد، يسعدني انه اختار ميامي لتكون محطته الجديدة”.

Casemiro’s career path mirrors Beckham’s in key respects, with both men having represented Real Madrid and Manchester United and lifting major trophies with each club before heading to MLS.

‘We want to be a global reference point’

Managing owner Jorge Mas said the deal underlined Inter Miami’s ambition to build a club recognised far beyond the United States.

He stressed that the signing was about more than adding a big name, arguing that Casemiro embodies the principles on which the club is trying to build its identity.

Mas said the transfer showed that Inter Miami is aiming “to become a global reference, not just one of the best teams in the United States”.

He added: “كاسيميرو يجسد القيم التي يقوم عليها النادي؛ القيادة، وعقلية الانتصار، والخبرة الكبيرة. اختياره الانضمام الينا بعد كل ما حققه يوكد ايمانه بمشروعنا”.

Glittering career in Europe and with Brazil

Casemiro arrives in MLS after a decorated career that began at Sao Paulo in Brazil before his move to Real Madrid in 2013, where he developed into one of the world’s leading defensive midfielders.

Across eight seasons with Real Madrid, he played 336 matches, scoring 31 goals and providing 29 assists. He helped the Spanish giants to 18 trophies, including five Champions League titles, three La Liga crowns and three Club World Cups.

In 2022 he joined Manchester United, where he made 160 appearances, scoring 26 goals and setting up 14 more. At Old Trafford he won the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

On the international stage, Casemiro has earned 91 caps for Brazil and was part of the side that lifted the 2019 Copa America. He featured at the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, playing every match for the Selecao at the 2026 tournament, where he scored in the round of 32 and provided an assist in the last 16.

With his arrival in Miami, MLS gains another high-profile, title-laden name, as Inter continue to build a squad around Messi that they hope can dominate domestically and enhance the league’s global profile.