Inter Miami CF announced today it has signed Argentine defender Nicolás Freire from LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM on loan through the 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. The center back provides the Club with an additional experienced option in defense after playing the first half of the 2023-24 season with Greek Super League side Olympiacos C.F.
“Nicolás offers us a sturdy defensive presence who we know will work hard and help command the backline,” said Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “He’s been successful in several high-quality competitions throughout his career, and we’re excited to bring him onboard to help us compete for titles in 2024. We believe his experience will be an asset for us.”
“I’m really proud to take this step in my career and play for a great club like Inter Miami,” said Freire. “I’m looking forward to joining the group and dedicating myself to working hard here. This is an ambitious club that dreams big and I’m excited to help us compete for titles.”
Freire, 29, joins the Club with over 250 professional matches under his belt, having played the majority of his career for Argentine club Argentinos Juniors and LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM. Notably, he has won Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa Ecuador and Argentine Primera Nacional titles throughout his career.
The Santa Lucía, Argentina native began his career among the youth ranks at Argentinos Juniors before going on to make his professional debut with the first team during the 2012-13 season. Freire then tallied a total of 96 appearances for the Buenos Aires based club between 2013 and 2017, registering four goals and two assists and helping the team win the 2016-17 Primera Nacional B title.
He went on to sign for Uruguayan club Montevideo City Torque in 2017 and subsequently had loan spells in the Netherlands playing for PEC Zwolle (2017-18), in Brazil with Palmeiras (2018) - where he won the 2018 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title - and in Ecuador with Liga Deportiva Universitaria (2019) - where the defender helped the team win the 2019 Copa Ecuador.
Freire then featured prominently for Liga MX side Pumas UNAM from 2019 to 2023, serving as a mainstay in the side and registering 129 total appearances, tallying six goals and two assists for the Mexican team.
Freire most recently spent the first half of the 2023-24 season on loan playing for Greek Super League standouts Olympiacos, making a total nine appearances in his time in Greece.
