Casemiro has insisted his hunger for success remains after joining MLS outfit Inter Miami.
The 34-year-old Brazilian midfielder was officially unveiled on Thursday after joining the Major League Soccer club as a free agent. He has signed a contract until the end of the 2027 MLS season, with the club holding an option to extend the deal until June 2029.
After winning five UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid and lifting both the League Cup and FA Cup during his time at Manchester United, Casemiro said he is arriving in the United States with the same winning mentality that defined his career in Europe.
“I want to thank the entire Mas family, David Beckham and everyone who made the effort to bring me here,” Casemiro said.
“And, of course, Leo Messi – the best in history. It is an honour for me to be here.”
The Brazil international, who represented his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitted the chance to play alongside Lionel Messi was a major attraction.
Despite leaving European football, Casemiro made it clear he has no intention of slowing down.
“My intention to be the best and to win has not gone away,” he said.
“In football, we do not know if we will win or lose, but my dedication and work will remain the same.”
Casemiro also revealed that Inter Miami had always been his preferred destination.
“My family and I knew that I wanted to play for Inter Miami,” he said. “We knew the city and the country – we love this place.”
The experienced midfielder has already made his debut, helping Inter Miami secure a 1-0 victory over Montreal last weekend, and said he had received a warm welcome from the club’s supporters.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas addressed questions surrounding the club’s signing of Casemiro after Major League Soccer opened an investigation into a tampering allegation linked to the transfer.
Mas explained that the club had followed MLS discovery rules throughout the process and only contacted Casemiro’s representatives after receiving approval from the league.
“Our sporting department has no idea what players are on other clubs’ lists,” Mas said. “We don’t know if the player is on the list, and they don’t know either.”
He added that Inter Miami first approached MLS after identifying Casemiro as a transfer target and only then discovered that LA Galaxy held the player’s discovery rights.
“We did not have any negotiation or any conversation with his representatives until we were given the green light,” Mas said.
“We did not talk to him beforehand. We negotiated with LA Galaxy and reached an agreement.”
MLS confirmed that Inter Miami and LA Galaxy agreed a settlement over Casemiro’s discovery rights, although details will remain confidential until the league completes its investigation.
Mas also repeated his view that the current discovery rule should be changed, arguing that it does not benefit either clubs or players.
