Casemiro suffers nightmare Inter Miami home debut with own goal

Casemiro endured a disastrous first appearance at home for Inter Miami after giving the ball away without pressure before turning a cross into his own net just moments later.

The 34-year-old Brazilian midfielder joined Lionel Messi’s side as a free agent last week after leaving Manchester United, according to the British newspaper The Sun.

He made his Inter Miami debut only a few days after arriving, completing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Montreal. However, his first outing in front of the club’s home supporters quickly became one to forget against Columbus Crew.

Inter Miami had taken the lead through Luis Suarez after 33 minutes, but Casemiro then made an unforced error when he surrendered possession despite facing no immediate pressure from an opponent.

Columbus Crew moved forward and sent a powerful cross into the penalty area. Casemiro attempted to deal with it but inadvertently diverted the ball into his own goal, cancelling out Inter Miami’s advantage.

The former Manchester United player looked visibly frustrated after the mistake, while Messi appeared far from pleased by the incident. Cameras showed the Argentina star frowning on the substitutes’ bench following Casemiro’s costly error.

The moment also stunned Inter Miami supporters, who discussed the midfielder’s difficult home debut on X.

One fan wrote: “You ask how Casemiro is getting on in Major League Soccer… well, he handed the ball to the opposition without any pressure, giving them the chance to launch a counter-attack, then finished the counter-attack himself with an own goal. His face said it all.”

Another posted: “The man regrets his decision after realising he should have stayed at Manchester United.”

A third added: “He is not what he used to be. How can your first goal be an own goal?”

A fourth supporter commented: “Manchester United spirits are haunting you wherever you go.”

Casemiro’s move to Inter Miami came after his departure from Old Trafford, where he had spent the previous part of his career. His arrival was followed by an immediate first-team opportunity, with the midfielder starting against Montreal and playing the entire match in the narrow win.

That positive introduction was followed by a far more difficult night in his first appearance at Inter Miami’s home ground. The early own goal came after his loss of possession had already put Columbus Crew in a dangerous position, leaving the Brazilian responsible for both stages of the error.

The incident provided an uncomfortable start to Casemiro’s home career with Inter Miami and drew attention because of Messi’s visible reaction from the bench.