Introduction
Carlos Henrique Casimiro (born 23 February 1992), known as Casemiro, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. He is widely regarded to be one of the best defensive midfielders in world football.
Formed at São Paulo, where he scored 11 goals in 111 official games, Casemiro moved to Real Madrid in 2013, and also spent a season on loan at Porto. He was part of the Real Madrid squad that won four Champions League titles in five seasons, from 2014 to 2018. In total he has won fifteen major trophies at Real Madrid, including five UEFA Champions Leagues, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and three FIFA Club World Cups.
A full international since 2011, Casemiro was in Brazil's squad at the 2018 FIFA World Cup as well as four Copa América tournaments, winning the 2019 edition.
Club career
São Paulo
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.
Casemiro made his Série A debut on 25 July 2010, in an away loss against Santos FC. He scored his first goal as a professional on 15 August, helping to a 2–2 draw with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube.
On 7 April 2012, Casemiro scored the first goal of a 2–0 win over Mogi Mirim Esporte Clube 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 Club Universidad de Chile in the quarter-final second leg on 7 November.
Real Madrid
In late 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 CE Sabadell FC.
Casemiro made his La Liga debut on 20 April 2013, 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 AD Alcorcón at the Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium; eight days later, the move was made permanent for four years and a fee of R$18.738 million.
Casemiro was loaned to FC Porto on 19 July 2014, in a season-long loan. He totalled 41 games overall for the Portuguese side, scoring four goals, including a free kick on 10 March 2015 in a 4–0 home win over FC Basel in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.
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 of the following year, he scored his first competitive goal for the Merengues, heading home an 89th-minute corner kick by Jesé in a 2–1 victory at UD 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 shootout after a 1–1 draw.
"Ahhh, Casimiro. He saved my life. I might play until I'm 45 with this guy by my side."
—Marcelo for The Players' Tribune
Casemiro scored four goals in 25 matches in the 2016–17 campaign, 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 FC, helping his side to a 4–1 victory; he again found the net on 8 August 2017, putting his team ahead in an eventual 2–1 victory over Manchester United in the 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 league title.
In August 2021, he extended his contract until 2025. A year later, Casemiro was named Man of the Match, as Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2–0 for their fifth UEFA Super Cup title.
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 Championship and the 2011 World Cup, scoring three goals in 15 appearances in total at this level.
Senior team
Casemiro made his debut for the Brazil senior side on 14 September 2011, in a 0–0 draw against Argentina, aged just 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, he 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 upcoming edition of the 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, he 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.
He 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.
Style of play
"For the balance of the team, he is without a doubt [Real Madrid's] most important player ... He has changed the face of Madrid."
—Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone before the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final
Casemiro mainly plays as a defensive midfielder, although he has also been deployed in a box-to-box role in the centre of the pitch, or even as a centre-back on occasion. While he is not particularly talented or skilful from a technical standpoint (although he was able to improve in this area under manager Zinedine Zidane during their time at Real Madrid together), Casemiro is an intelligent, physically strong, mobile, aggressive, and hard-tackling midfielder, with an extremely high work-rate. While he 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, he 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, he 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.
Personal life
Casemiro featured in a promotional trailer for FIFA 19.
On 7 November 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 14 August 2022
| Club | Season | League | State league | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| São Paulo | 2010 | Série A | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 61 | 6 | 31 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 111 | 11 | |||
| Real Madrid B (loan) | 2012–13 | Segunda División | 15 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Real Madrid (loan) | 2012–13 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 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 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| Career total | 326 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 39 | 2 | 88 | 7 | 19 | 1 | 503 | 47 | ||
International
- As of match played 6 June 2022
| 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 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 63 | 5 | |
Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Casemiro goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 June 2019 | Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, Brazil |  Peru |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2019 Copa América |
| 2 | 6 September 2019 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States |  Colombia |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 3 | 13 October 2019 | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore |  Nigeria |
1–1 | 1–1 | |
| 4 | 23 June 2021 | Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Colombia |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2021 Copa América |
| 5 | 27 January 2022 | Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador |  Ecuador |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
São Paulo
- Copa Sudamericana: 2012
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22
- Copa del Rey: 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2017, 2019–20, 2021–22
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22
- UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017, 2022
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017, 2018
Brazil U17
- South American U-17 Championship: 2009
Brazil U20
- South American U-20 Championship: 2011
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2011
Brazil
- Copa América: 2019
Individual
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18
- UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2019–20
- IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade 2011–2020
- Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2021