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Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas took aim at certain aspects of Major League Soccer's regulations as the club officially presented Casemiro ahead of the Brazilian's home opener against Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters following the unveiling of the former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder to a crowd of 500 supporters, he described the Discovery Rights process as "not something [MLS] should move forward with," while strongly insisting that Inter Miami had not engaged in tampering during the player's acquisition, an allegation currently under MLS investigation.
Discovery Rights permit clubs to maintain a list of up to five players for whom they can secure exclusive negotiating rights. The rule is designed to prevent teams from engaging in bidding wars against one another, which was among the key factors that contributed to the collapse of earlier professional soccer leagues in North America, most notably the Pelé-era North American Soccer League.
Despite what the name implies, this is not a true "discovery," and there is no suggestion that Inter Miami genuinely discovered Casemiro. Nevertheless, the club would have been unable to open negotiations with the player until it obtained the discovery rights, which were previously held by the L.A. Galaxy.
"I have spent over two years pushing for these rules to be changed in the league," Mas said. "I do not believe the discovery process benefits any MLS clubs, beyond entering negotiations over players they have no real knowledge of. Whether that rule changes or not remains to be seen. This league maintaining a non-public list of players is something we should move forward with."
According to several reports, the Galaxy filed a tampering complaint against Miami. Casemiro, for his part, stated that he had no desire to play for any team other than the Herons, and it remains unclear whether the Galaxy ever submitted a legitimate offer to the 34-year-old.
After criticizing the rule, Mas assured supporters that the club had followed all proper procedures and had not tampered throughout the process. Nevertheless, speculation linking Casemiro to Miami had circulated for months prior to the signing, despite no publicly announced agreement to transfer the rights from the Galaxy to the South Florida club.
"In the league, there is the discovery rule; Casemiro was on the L.A. Galaxy's list. I don't believe the true implications of the Discovery List have been accurately reported," Mas said.
"In this instance, the executives at Inter Miami, particularly Alberto Marrero, adhered strictly to MLS regulations regarding the Discovery List. We did not begin talks until we reached an agreement with the L.A. Galaxy. We complied; we did not enter into negotiations with Casemiro or his representatives without first consulting the Galaxy and the league and receiving their approval."
Will Casemiro Stay With Inter Miami?
Having signed a contract through 2026–27 with an option extending to 2028–29 and having marked his debut with a 1–0 victory over CF Montréal, Casemiro faces no threat of being removed from Inter Miami's roster. Still, the possibility remains that the club could face sanctions if the ongoing investigation reveals that they circumvented MLS rules.
For Casemiro personally, however, the outcome won't alter his situation. The midfielder told reporters that he had communicated directly with the Galaxy, making clear his intention to join Inter Miami — much in the same way Thomas Müller turned down FC Cincinnati in 2025 before ultimately signing with Vancouver Whitecaps.
In the Müller deal, Vancouver sent Cincinnati $400,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for the German's Discovery Rights.
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"I spoke to the Galaxy some time ago. I made it very clear to them that I wanted to come to Miami because, ultimately, it's a city I love. My wife, my kids and I are always here whenever we have time off. We know this city well," Casemiro said. "When I spoke to [the Galaxy], I was completely transparent about which team I wanted to join in MLS, and that is Inter Miami — because of the project, the ambition, and of course the chance to play alongside the greatest player of all time."
There will be no uncomfortable encounter between Casemiro and the Galaxy this season unless the two sides meet in the MLS Cup final in December. By that point, the landscape could also look different, with a new commissioner set to take the helm at MLS and potentially reshaping the Discovery Rights process along with other roster construction rules.