Casemiro agrees Inter Miami move as Brazilian media savage his World Cup displays

Casemiro has agreed in principle to join Inter Miami, with Fabrizio Romano reporting a verbal agreement between all parties just hours after the former Manchester United midfielder was widely criticised by the Brazilian media for his performances at the 2026 World Cup.

The 34-year-old, who left Old Trafford when his contract expired this month, will play in MLS alongside Lionel Messi at David Beckham’s franchise next season. Inter Miami had to negotiate with LA Galaxy, who held Casemiro’s discovery rights, before the deal could be finalised.

The timing of the announcement comes at a difficult moment for the veteran. Brazil are unbeaten through two group games — a 1-1 draw with Morocco and a 3-0 win over Haiti — but Casemiro’s performances have drawn sharp scrutiny back home. He was substituted at half-time against Morocco and, despite playing the full 90 minutes against Haiti, was singled out by five of the eight columnists and correspondents O Globo asked to identify Brazil’s poorest performers in that match.

The criticism was pointed. One pundit wrote that Casemiro “struggled even against a much weaker opponent” in a midfield that also featured Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá, who both played well. A second said he “hasn’t found his form in the competition yet” and appears “lost, below his usual level.” A third went further, noting: “It’s impressive how nervousness is coming from someone where experience was expected. Both performances so far are worrying. He could lose his place, which he only holds because of Ancelotti’s confidence in him.”

Not every outlet shared that verdict. By the final whistle against Haiti, Casemiro had won the most duels, made the most tackles, and earned the most fouls of any Brazil player — statistics that paint a more nuanced picture of his contribution.

Casemiro was recalled to the Brazil squad by head coach Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the tournament. Securing his club future with Inter Miami should allow him to focus entirely on turning his World Cup form around as Brazil look to progress from the group stage.