Casemiro

Casemiro

Carlos Henrique Casimiro (born 23 February 1992), also known mononymously as Casemiro [ka.zeˈmi.ɾu], is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Brazil national team.

Casemiro began his career with São Paulo and progressed through the ranks. He scored 11 goals in 111 games as a midfielder for the club. His defensive abilities caught the attention of Real Madrid, and he joined the club on loan in January 2013. He played 15 games for Real Madrid Castilla during his loan spell. Afterward, he was signed permanently by Real Madrid for a fee of £5.1 million, becoming a part of their first-team squad at the Santiago Bernabéu.

After joining Real Madrid, Casemiro initially struggled to break into the first team. He was loaned to Porto for €15 million to gain more playing time. During his time at Porto, Casemiro performed impressively and helped the team reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Real Madrid decided to reacquire him for €7 million in the summer transfer window of 2015. After returning to the club, Casemiro played a crucial role in Real Madrid's success, becoming one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, and winning numerous trophies including three La Liga titles, three Supercopa de España, three FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, one Copa del Rey and five UEFA Champions Leagues. In 2022, he left Real Madrid and joined Manchester United for a transfer worth a reported €70.65m, winning the EFL Cup in his first season and the FA Cup the following season.

A full international since 2011, Casemiro was in Brazil's squad at the (/wiki/2018FIFAWorldCup) and (/wiki/2022FIFAWorldCup) FIFA World Cups as well as four Copa América tournaments, winning the 2019 Copa América and finishing as a runner-up in (/wiki/2021CopaAmérica).

Club career

2003–2010: Youth career

Born in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Casemiro was a product of São Paulo FC's youth system. From the age of 11 upwards, he acted as captain to its sides; he was known as "Carlão" – an augmentative form of his first name in Portuguese – early on, and would be called up for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

2010–2013: Consistent success

Casemiro made his Série A debut on 25 July 2010, in an away loss against Santos. He scored his first goal as a professional on 15 August, helping to a 2–2 draw with Cruzeiro.

On 7 April 2012, Casemiro scored the first goal of a 2–0 win over Mogi Mirim at the Arena Barueri in that year's Campeonato Paulista after replacing the injured Fabrício early on, but was later sent off. São Paulo also won the Copa Sudamericana, with the player making one substitute appearance in a 5–0 home success against Universidad de Chile in the quarter-final second leg on 7 November.

2013–2015: First successes and loan to Porto

On 31 January 2013, Casemiro was loaned to Real Madrid in Spain, being assigned to the B-team in Segunda División. He played his first game in the competition on 16 February, starting in a 1–3 defeat at Sabadell. Casemiro made his La Liga debut on 20 April, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 home win over Real Betis. On 2 June, he scored his first goal in Europe, opening the reserves' 4–0 win over Alcorcón at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium. Eight days after his first goal for Real Madrid Castilla, the move was made permanent for four years and a fee of R$18.738 million was paid.

Casemiro was loaned to Porto on 19 July 2014 in a season-long loan. He totalled 41 games overall for the Portuguese club, scoring four goals, including a free kick on 10 March 2015 in a 4–0 home win over Basel in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

2015–2016: Becoming first-choice

Casemiro playing for Real Madrid in 2015

On 5 June 2015, Casemiro returned to Real Madrid who activated his buyback clause, and two months later his contract was extended until 2021. On 13 March 2016, he scored his first competitive goal for the Merengues, heading home an 89th-minute corner kick by Jesé in a 2–1 victory at Las Palmas. After being mostly a reserve player under Rafael Benítez, Casemiro became first-choice under his successor Zinedine Zidane, and contributed with 11 appearances in that season's Champions League. In the final against Atlético Madrid, he featured the full 120 minutes, as Real Madrid won their 11th title in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw.

2016–2022: Prolific success and departure

Casemiro scored four goals in 25 matches in the 2016–17 La Liga, helping his team win the league title for the first time in five years. He then scored a long-range strike in the Champions League final against Juventus, helping his team to a 4–1 victory. He again found the net on 8 August, putting his team ahead in a 2–1 victory over Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup.

During the 2017–18 Champions League, Casemiro made 12 appearances while scoring one goal, as Madrid won their third consecutive and 13th overall title in the competition. He was a regular starter during the season, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga. In August 2021, he extended his contract until June 2025. Casemiro was a starter for Real Madrid when they won their 14th Champions League title. He was named Man of the Match, as Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2–0 for the 2022 Super Cup.

Manchester United

Casemiro during his unveiling as a new Manchester United player at Old Trafford in 2022

On 19 August 2022, Real Madrid and Manchester United announced that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Casemiro. Three days later, he signed a four-year contract with the English club, with an option for an additional year's extension. The deal was reportedly worth £60 million, plus £10 million in add-ons. Casemiro was later reported as having previously told his agent to relay a message to Manchester United that he would bring them back into form after their 4–0 defeat at the hands of Brentford, saying "Tell them I’ll fix it." He made his debut for the club when he came on as a substitute in a Premier League win away at Southampton on 27 August. On 22 October, he scored his first Premier League goal, a last minute equaliser with a header in a 1–1 away draw against Chelsea.

Casemiro was highly praised by his manager Erik ten Hag in January, who commented: "Casemiro is magnificent. In front of the back line, always taking good positions, in and out of position. And he can deal with the ball, he can give the right pass. So, he can accelerate the game and if necessary, he can score." On 4 February, Casemiro was given a red card for violent conduct during a match against Crystal Palace for putting his hands around the neck of Will Hughes during a confrontation which also saw Antony and Jeffrey Schlupp receive yellow cards. This resulted in a three-match domestic ban; United would go on to win the match 2–1. On 26 February, Man Utd won the EFL Cup, his first trophy at the club and United's first trophy since (/wiki/2016–17UEFAEuropaLeague), with Casemiro scoring the opening goal in the 33rd minute of the 2–0 victory against Newcastle United in the final. His performance also earned him the Alan Hardaker Trophy. On 12 March, he was given a red card for a tackle on Carlos Alcaraz in a match against Southampton where referee Anthony Taylor overturned his initial yellow card decision for a straight red card after a VAR review, and received a four match suspension; Man Utd would go on to draw the match 0–0. Casemiro would be the only player of the 2022–23 Premier League to receive 2 red cards, and the only Manchester United player to receive a red card for that season.

On 20 September 2023, Casemiro scored a brace in a 4–3 defeat against Bayern Munich on his 100th appearance in European competitions, in the opening match of the 2023–24 Champions League season.

On 1 September 2024, in a home game against Liverpool, Casemiro made two mistakes in the first half, both of which resulted in opposition goals. He was withdrawn at half time and strongly criticised by commentators for his poor performance. On 27 October, he scored his first goal of the 2024–25 season against West Ham as his team lost 2–1 before head coach Erik ten Hag was sacked less than 24 hours after the result.

On 22 January 2026, Manchester United officially announced that Casemiro would depart from the club at the conclusion of the 2025–26 season, following a mutual decision not to renew his contract. Despite the club's decision to move on for financial sustainability, Casemiro remained a key figure in the squad. Following a 3–1 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, the home supporters demonstrated their appreciation by chanting "One more year, Casemiro", urging the midfielder to extend his tenure at the club.

International career

Youth teams

Casemiro scored one goal in seven appearances for the Brazil under-17 team. He played for the Brazil under-20 team at the 2011 South American U-20 Championship and the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring three goals in 15 appearances in total at this level.

Senior team

Casemiro playing for Brazil in 2018

Casemiro made his debut for the Brazil senior team on 14 September 2011, in a 0–0 draw against Argentina, aged 19. He was named by manager Dunga in the Brazilian squad for the 2015 Copa América, but did not play any matches in the quarter-final exit in Chile.

On 5 May 2016, Casemiro was named among the 23-man list for the Copa América Centenario to be held in the United States.

In May 2018, Casemiro was selected by manager Tite for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He made his debut in the competition on 17 June, playing 60 minutes in a 1–1 group stage draw to Switzerland.

In May 2019, Casemiro was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil. In the final group game at the Arena Corinthians against Peru, he scored his first international goal to open a 5–0 victory, but was also sent off for two yellow cards and suspended from the next match. He started in Brazil's 3–1 victory over Peru in the 2019 Copa América Final on 7 July, at the Maracanã Stadium.

Casemiro was named to the 2021 Copa América squad on 9 June 2021. In Brazil's third group match on 23 June, he scored the match–winning goal following a Neymar corner in injury time, to help his team defeat Colombia 2–1. On 10 July, he started in his nation's 1–0 defeat to rivals Argentina in the final.

On 7 November 2022, Casemiro was named in the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On 28 November, he scored the winning goal in the second group match against Switzerland. Brazil were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals on 9 December, following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out loss after a 1–1 draw following extra-time, although Casemiro was able to net his spot kick.

On 26 May 2025, newly appointed Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti announced the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, including Casemiro, marking the midfielder's return to the national team after a two-year absence.

Style of play

Casemiro

Casemiro mainly plays as a defensive midfielder, although he has also been deployed in anchor man role in the centre of the pitch, or as a centre-back on occasion. He is an intelligent, physically strong, mobile, aggressive, and hard-tackling midfielder, with an extremely high work-rate and good technical ability. While Casemiro is mainly known for his ability to provide balance to his teams by supporting his more offensive-minded teammates defensively, and distributing the ball to them accurately after winning back possession, he is also a well-rounded midfielder, who possesses a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, and reliable distribution, as well as an ability to get forward with his runs off the ball, or start attacks with his passing. These characteristics also enable him to contribute offensively, or even score goals, in addition to breaking up plays. Moreover, his quick reactions, as well as his excellent positional sense, ability to read the game, and good anticipation, enable him to excel in a holding midfield role in front of the defence, by cutting out counter-attacks and shielding the back-line.

Often described as a "destroyer" in the media, Casemiro has drawn praise from pundits for his energetic and combative style of play, as well as his tactical awareness and abilities as a ball winner, which enable him to cover ground, track back, and press opponents. His tenacity on the pitch, exemplified by his fierce challenges and stamina, have led Marca to nickname him "The Tank." In addition to his footballing abilities, Casemiro also stands out for his competitive spirit, mentality, consistency, and determination on the pitch. Despite maintaining a good disciplinary record, he has, however, also come into criticism in the media at times over his excessively aggressive challenges on the pitch. Casemiro's playing style has drawn comparisons with that of former Real Madrid defensive midfielder Claude Makélélé, as well as compatriot Toninho Cerezo.

Club ownership

Casemiro

On 4 June 2024, it was announced that Casemiro would be investing in Spanish lower-league club Marbella.

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League	State league	National cup	League cup	Continental	Other	Total
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
São Paulo	2010	Série A	18	2	0	0	—	—	0	0	—	18	2
2011	Série A	21	4	12	1	5	1	—	2	0	—	40	6
2012	Série A	22	0	18	2	9	1	—	1	0	—	50	3
2013	Série A	—	1	0	—	—	2	0	—	3	0
Total	61	6	31	3	14	2	—	5	0	—	111	11
Real Madrid Castilla (loan)	2012–13	Segunda División	15	1	—	—	—	—	—	15	1
Real Madrid (loan)	2012–13	La Liga	1	0	—	0	0	—	0	0	—	1	0
Real Madrid	2013–14	La Liga	12	0	—	7	0	—	6	0	—	25	0
2015–16	La Liga	23	1	—	1	0	—	11	0	—	35	1
2016–17	La Liga	25	4	—	5	0	—	9	2	3	0	42	6
2017–18	La Liga	30	5	—	1	0	—	12	1	5	1	48	7
2018–19	La Liga	29	3	—	5	0	—	6	1	3	0	43	4
2019–20	La Liga	35	4	—	1	0	—	8	1	2	0	46	5
2020–21	La Liga	34	6	—	1	0	—	10	1	1	0	46	7
2021–22	La Liga	32	1	—	3	0	—	11	0	2	0	48	1
2022–23	La Liga	1	0	—	—	—	—	1	0	2	0
Total	222	24	—	24	0	—	73	6	17	1	336	31
Porto (loan)	2014–15	Primeira Liga	28	3	—	1	0	2	0	10	1	—	41	4
Manchester United	2022–23	Premier League	28	4	—	5	2	6	1	12	0	—	51	7
2023–24	Premier League	25	1	—	3	1	2	1	2	2	—	32	5
2024–25	Premier League	24	1	—	2	0	2	2	13	2	1	0	42	5
2025–26	Premier League	29	7	—	1	0	0	0	—	—	30	7
Total	106	13	—	11	3	10	4	27	4	1	0	155	24
Career total	432	47	31	3	50	5	12	4	115	11	18	1	658	71

International

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Brazil	2011	1	0
2012	4	0
2013	0	0
2014	2	0
2015	2	0
2016	4	0
2017	7	0
2018	12	0
2019	14	3
2020	2	0
2021	11	1
2022	10	2
2023	6	1
2024	0	0
2025	7	1
Total	82	8

As of match played 18 November 2025 Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Casemiro goal

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	22 June 2019	Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil	39	Peru	1–0	5–0	2019 Copa América
2	6 September 2019	Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States	42	Colombia	1–0	2–2	Friendly
3	13 October 2019	National Stadium, Singapore	45	Nigeria	1–1	1–1	Friendly
4	23 June 2021	Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	52	Colombia	2–1	2–1	2021 Copa América
5	27 January 2022	Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador	60	Ecuador	1–0	1–1	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
6	28 November 2022	Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar	67	Switzerland	1–0	1–0	2022 FIFA World Cup
7	25 March 2023	Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier, Morocco	70	Morocco	1–1	1–2	Friendly
8	15 November 2025	Emirates Stadium, London, England	81	Senegal	2–0	2–0	Friendly

Honours

Casemiro

• Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior: 2010 • Copa Sudamericana: (/wiki/2012CopaSudamericana)

• La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22 • Copa del Rey: 2013–14 • Supercopa de España: (/wiki/2017SupercopadeEspaña), (/wiki/2020SupercopadeEspaña), (/wiki/2022SupercopadeEspaña) • UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22 • UEFA Super Cup: (/wiki/2016UEFASuperCup), (/wiki/2017UEFASuperCup), (/wiki/2022UEFASuperCup) • FIFA Club World Cup: (/wiki/2016FIFAClubWorldCup), (/wiki/2017FIFAClubWorldCup), (/wiki/2018FIFAClubWorldCup)

• EFL Cup: 2022–23 • FA Cup: 2023-24

• South American U-17 Championship: (/wiki/2009SouthAmericanU-17Championship)

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: (/wiki/2011FIFAU-20WorldCup) • South American U-20 Championship: (/wiki/2011SouthAmericanU-20Championship)

• Copa América: (/wiki/2019CopaAmérica)

• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18 • UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2019–20 • Copa América Team of the Tournament: (/wiki/2021CopaAmérica#TeamoftheTournament) • Trofeo EFE: 2019–20 • Alan Hardaker Trophy: (/wiki/2023EFLCupfinal) • FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: (/wiki/TheBestFIFAFootballAwards2022#FIFAFIFPROMen'sWorld11) • UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2024–25