FC Dallas has signed free agent midfielder Ramiro Benetti to a two-year contract with a one-year club option. He will occupy an international slot on the roster, pending receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

The 31-year old spent the last two seasons with Série A side Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, where he made 54 appearances, scoring three goals and recording two assists. He joined Cruzeiro from Corinthians, also of Brazil, where he made 117 appearances. Ramiro also spent a season on loan with UAE side Al-Wasl FC, making 30 appearances.

From 2013 to 2019, Ramiro played 251 matches for Grêmio, ranking as the sixth player with the most appearances in the club’s history. In 2017, he helped Grêmio win its third Copa Libertadores title. The year before, Grêmio won the Copa do Brasil for the fifth time. Ramiro was also part of the Grêmio squad that finished as runner-up in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup after losing to Real Madrid in the final. 

BDS Take

For years, I would say that FC Dallas was signing Clavijo-specials each year. Players who were internationals probably had no business being on a Major League Soccer squad.

Now that it appears under Andre Zanotta, we’re getting Zanotta-specials. These are South American players, mostly Brazilians, who have played for Gremio at some point in time.

If Ramiro works out in 2025, that is all good and fine. Seeing that he is on a two-year deal is intriguing and likely signals to me that the club is moving on from attempting to re-sign midfielder Asier Illarramendi. I also wonder if this is a bit of an insurance policy on the roster for Paxton Pomykal's senior roster slot.

Ramiro brings an interesting pedigree to FC Dallas. He can play as a center midfielder or as a defensive midfielder. He has also been known to play along the right side of the midfield from time to time.

There is part of me that worries about the smaller number of minutes played in the last year for him. I'm not sure if that is due to injuries or moving around from club to club, but it is something to look into once preseason rolls around.

What do you all make of this signing? Let's discuss below.

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