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Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has locked down a player he has “admired” for a long time, as the club announced its signing of Brazilian star midfielder Casemiro on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old joins the Herons on a free transfer after his contract with Manchester United expired after the 2025–26 Premier League season. Casemiro signed through the 14-game 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with an extension option until June 2029.
“I’m very proud to welcome Casemiro and his family to Inter Miami,” Beckham said. “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.”
Casemiro’s new deal comes after competing in his third World Cup with Brazil, where he took part in five games as the team fell out in the round of 16 to Erling Haaland’s Norway. At the international level, he has 10 goals in 91 caps.
Joining the Herons as a defensive midfielder, the veteran brings experience from 336 games with La Liga giants Real Madrid, where he recorded 31 goals and 29 assists, helping the team claim five Champions League titles, three La Liga titles and three FIFA Club World Cups, among other trophies.
After wrapping up his Real Madrid tenure in 2022, he joined Premier League side Manchester United, where he tallied 24 goals and 16 assists in 160 appearances, winning the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, while also helping the club secure its Champions League return his final season.
“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.”
The club acquired Casemiro’s Discovery Rights from the L.A. Galaxy, but, according to The Athletic, is being investigated for potential tampering, as teams are not supposed to negotiate with players on other teams’ Discovery Lists before acquiring the rights.
Miami’s salary structure also remains unclear, as the club previously had each of Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Germán Berterame on the three available Designated Player contracts and did not reveal Casemiro’s status.
Casemiro Fills Sergio Busquets Void
Casemiro will seamlessly step into Inter Miami’s setup in defensive midfield, helping fill in a void left by the now-retired Sergio Busquets, who played a pivotal role in the Herons’ run to MLS Cup in 2025 and a record-breaking Supporters’ Shield run in 2024. It’s only fitting the Brazilian will also don the number five.
This season, the Herons have been inconsistent in lineup choices, but have largely shifted to a 4-3-3 since Guillermo Hoyos took over as interim manager after the club parted ways with MLS Cup-winning boss Javier Mascherano earlier in the campaign.
The 4-3-3 system has seen Rodrigo De Paul play on the right side instead of the central role he took on alongside Busquets last season, while Yannick Bright has offered his skills in midfield. Now, Miami will have the option to either stick with that formation and slot Casemiro in for Bright, or to shift altogether to create a double-pivot defensive midfield pairing of Casemiro and De Paul.
The club has not announced a debut date for Casemiro, but he is expected to join the group before Messi and De Paul return, given Brazil’s earlier exit from the World Cup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as David Beckham's Casemiro Message Says it All As Inter Miami Deal Confirmed.
