Casemiro’s move to Inter Miami has already been overshadowed by controversy, with Major League Soccer (MLS) launching an investigation into the Brazilian’s transfer over an alleged tampering breach.

The former Manchester United midfielder was officially confirmed as an Inter Miami player on Wednesday, signing a one-year contract that reunites him with former La Liga rivals Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in South Florida.

Casemiro arrives in the United States after ending his four-year spell at Old Trafford, where he made more than 100 appearances and added to a trophy cabinet that already included five UEFA Champions League titles.

However, just hours after the deal was announced, MLS confirmed it had opened an investigation into the process that led to Inter Miami securing the midfielder’s signing.

The inquiry centres around the league’s Discovery Rights system, which allows clubs to register interest in overseas players before they enter MLS. Teams can place up to seven international players on a confidential discovery list, giving them priority to negotiate should those players decide to join the league.

Although discovery rights do not guarantee a transfer, they can be traded between clubs. One of the most notable recent examples came in 2024, when LA Galaxy acquired Marcos Reus after reaching an agreement with Charlotte FC, reportedly sending $400,000 in General Allocation Money in exchange for his discovery rights.

So far, MLS has not disclosed the exact nature of the alleged tampering or explained which part of the discovery process may have been breached. Reports suggest the investigation could determine whether Inter Miami held discussions with Casemiro before obtaining the necessary discovery rights from LA Galaxy.

In a statement, the league said:

“Major League Soccer is reviewing a tampering allegation against Inter Miami CF.

“The league is gathering all relevant information and will refrain from further comment until the review is complete.

“While Inter Miami CF and the LA Galaxy have reached a settlement for the Discovery Priority to sign Casemiro, the terms will be released upon conclusion of the tampering investigation.”

Despite the off-field uncertainty, Inter Miami enjoyed success on the pitch, edging Chicago Fire 3-2 in a dramatic encounter that also marked Robert Lewandowski’s MLS debut.

The match, however, featured one of the season’s most unfortunate moments. Defender Ian Fray played what appeared to be a routine backpass to goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo, but the goalkeeper completely missed his attempted clearance, allowing the ball to trickle into his own net and hand Chicago an early advantage.

Fortunately for Javier Mascherano’s side, the embarrassing own goal did not prove costly, as Inter Miami fought back to secure all three points in an entertaining contest.