Casemiro played, Messi was absent due to post-World Cup rest, and Suarez scored to give Miami their sixth straight MLS victory.
Published July 26, 2026
Brazilian midfielder Casemiro made his debut for Inter Miami despite an ongoing investigation by Major League Soccer (MLS) into his transfer to the American club.
The former Manchester United man played the entirety of Inter Miami’s 1-0 win over Montreal on Saturday. MLS announced last week that it was investigating “allegations of misconduct” against the club following Casemiro’s arrival.
The league’s investigation has cast a shadow over the midfielder’s arrival, with MLS announcing it would hold off on details of the settlement between Inter Miami and LA Galaxy over Casemiro’s “discovery rights” until the investigation is concluded.
Under MLS rules, before a club signs a player outside of the draft or free agency, it must negotiate discovery rights with the team that previously listed the player. The Galaxy held the rights to Casemiro before he chose to join Miami.
Miami won 1-0 against Canada on Luis Suarez’s penalty kick in the 81st minute. German Belterrame was awarded a spot kick after he collided with Montreal defender Efran Morales in the box.
Bertelame lost consciousness after the collision and was taken by ambulance.
Inter Miami interim manager Guillermo Hoyos admitted after the match that Bertelame was conscious and “doing well.”
“The blow was very hard, but he is recovering,” Hoyos added.
Suarez fired a soft shot past Sebastian Breza for his ninth goal of the season and sixth in the last three games, giving Inter Miami their sixth consecutive win.
Lionel Messi has taken another break to continue his recovery after reaching the World Cup finals with Argentina.
