Casemiro

Carlos Henrique Casimiro (born 23 February 1992), also known mononymously as Casemiro (Brazilian Portuguese: [kazeˈmiɾu]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami 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 to gain more playing time. During his time at Porto, Casemiro performed impressively and helped the team reach the Champions League quarterfinals.

Porto had an option to buy Casemiro after his loan ended, but Real Madrid decided to cancel the clause, paying a €7 million penalty fee to Porto 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 joined Manchester United for a transfer worth a reported €70.65m, winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup in his four seasons there.

Casemiro has been capped more than 90 times by Brazil since making his senior international debut in 2011. He was in Brazil's squad at three FIFA World Cups (2018, 2022, and 2026) as well as four Copa América tournaments, winning the 2019 Copa América and finishing as a runner-up in 2021. In 2021, he was included in the IFFHS CONMEBOL Team of the Decade.