On Tuesday, Inter Miami confirmed that one of the club’s most important players has left the organization to join another Major League Soccer team. This leaves Lionel Messi without a teammate who played a crucial role in the team’s success in recent years.
“Inter Miami CF announced today that goalkeeper Drake Callender has joined Charlotte FC,” the Herons said in an official statement on their website. With this move, the 27-year-old player leaves the club for the first time in his career to try his luck with an Eastern Conference rival.
Callender began his journey with Inter Miami in 2019, ahead of the club’s debut MLS season, and eventually became a key figure for the team. In fact, he was the second player to reach 100 appearances with the Herons and now leaves with 118 games played across all competitions.
The goalkeeper’s importance became especially clear after Messi’s arrival in the United States. The team’s resurgence in the summer of 2023 was fueled in part by Callender’s performances, which were crucial to their Leagues Cup title that year. He also played 32 matches during the 2024 regular season, in which they captured the Supporters’ Shield.
However, at the start of the current season, Callender’s situation changed drastically. A string of physical issues, including surgery to repair a sports hernia in May, kept him from retaining his spot in the starting lineup. That, combined with the strong form of Oscar Ustari, meant Callender managed to play only three matches in 2025.
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What are Inter Miami getting in return for Callender?
In the announcement of Drake Callender’s arrival, Charlotte FC shared details of the deal on their official website. Inter Miami will receive $750,000 in General Allocation Money, split into two installments: $400,000 in 2025 and $350,000 in 2026. Additionally, the Herons “could receive $75,000 in conditional GAM and will retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future permanent trade or transfer.”
Asked about the decision to bring in Callender, Charlotte FC’s general manager Zoran Krneta explained: “His MLS experience and recent national team call-ups make him a key piece to help strengthen our goalkeeping core as we continue to build the strongest squad possible for the run-in, but also an eye towards the future.”
Callender is now a direct rival of Inter Miami
With his trade to Charlotte FC, Drake Callender is now set to compete directly with Inter Miami. Both clubs are currently in playoff position in the Eastern Conference, separated by just a single point: the Herons sit in fifth place with 45 points, while Charlotte FC are seventh with 44.
However, there’s a key difference between the two. Inter Miami still have three games in hand due to their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and if they perform well in those matches, they could climb to the top of the standings.
