Rodrigo De Paul is officially eligible to make his Inter Miami CF debut after receiving the necessary paperwork ahead of Wednesday's Leagues Cup opener vs. Atlas FC at Chase Stadium (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
The Herons signed the Argentine midfielder late last week, acquiring him on loan from LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid through 2025. They also hold a purchase option to make the deal permanent through the 2029 MLS season.
De Paul, who is nicknamed 'El Motorcito' for his work rate and all-action presence, is international teammates with Miami captain Lionel Messi. Together, they won the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América titles (2021, '24).
The 31-year-old joins an Inter Miami midfield that features FC Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets and youngsters Telasco Segovia, Benjamin Cremaschi and Federico Redondo, among others.
After hosting Atlas, Miami welcome two more LIGA MX sides in Phase One: Club Necaxa (Aug. 2) and Pumas UNAM (Aug. 6). To reach the quarterfinals, they'll need to finish top four in the Leagues Cup MLS standings.
Miami won Leagues Cup 2023, riding the momentum of Messi's transformative arrival alongside Busquets and Jordi Alba.
