Casemiro's move to Inter Miami has turned into a rules argument as much as a football one. Jorge Mas said he has spent more than two years trying to change MLS's Discovery Rights rule, and he used Casemiro's unveiling to argue the system should be reworked. MLS is still reviewing the deal for tampering.

Mas takes aim at the rule

Mas did not sound interested in softening the point. "I do not think the discovery process benefits any MLS clubs," he told si.com, adding that the league should move past a system with an unpublished list of players. He also insisted Inter Miami "respected the letter of the MLS law" and did not begin talks with Casemiro until after a settlement with the Galaxy.

The unveiling itself had 500 fans in attendance, which tells you the size of the spotlight around the signing. Mas's complaint is not really about one player. It is about how MLS lets clubs hold discovery priority on names before negotiations even start, and the league has already said it is gathering all relevant information before commenting further.

The review is still open

MLS is investigating Inter Miami for tampering in the acquisition process to sign Casemiro, and the league has not closed that file. The LA Galaxy said they have reached a settlement with Inter Miami for the discovery priority to sign him, with the terms to be released when the tampering investigation concludes.

There is also a separate fight over what Casemiro himself told the Galaxy. Will Kuntz said Casemiro first told the club he only wanted to play for them, then two months later said he only wanted Inter Miami. Casemiro gave the opposite account, saying he made it clear he wanted Miami because of the project, the hope and "of course to play with the best player of all time."

The football part of the story is already underway. Casemiro has made 5 appearances in 2026, logged 394 minutes and averaged a 7.21 rating, so this is no longer just a ceremonial debut storyline. The reporting says he is on a deal through 2026-27 with an option through 2028-29, which means the club is treating this as a proper piece of business while the league sorts out the paperwork fight.

The only real unknown now is how MLS finishes its review and what it says about the settlement terms. For the moment, the signing stands, the investigation stays open, and Casemiro remains on Inter Miami's books while the league examines the tampering claim.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →