Full Name: Carlos Henrique Casimiro
Date of Birth: 23 February 1992
Place of Birth: São José Dos Campos, Brazil
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position: Defensive Midfield
Current Team: Manchester United
Casemiro is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time. Quiet, unassuming, and sometimes underappreciated, the Brazilian has redefined his deeper lying position role and raised standards for defensive-minded midfielders within the modern game.
As one of the most successful players in the game’s history, he was once an integral part of arguably the best European team set up in recent memory in Real Madrid, and yet there are still many unknown elements to the now globally famous superstar.
Here are 7 Interesting Casemiro Facts You Probably Didn't Know
Casimiro or Casemiro?
He Was Loaned To Real Madrid
His Nickname Is ‘The Tank’
He Has A Surprising Injury Record
He Has Won A Lot Of Honours!
Jose Mourinho Is One Of His Biggest Fans
He Was On A Mission Before Joining Manchester United
1. Casimiro or Casemiro?
Is it Casimiro or Casemiro? The Brazilian’s actual name is the subject of great debate amongst some football fans and the truth is somewhat confusing. It’s no secret that he was born Carlos Henrique Casimiro and logic suggests he should be known as Casimiro.
So why the misspelling of his name?
It’s not uncommon for Brazilian players to go by completely different names to the ones they were given at birth. For example, Ronaldinho's real name is Ronaldo De Assis Moreira.
The origin of Casemiro’s name apparently stems from his time at Sao Paulo. Rumour has it that as he became a more popular player, fans would begin to chant his name but instead of crying ‘Casimiro’ they would pronounce it ‘Casemiro’ instead.
Interestingly, some of his past teammates also know him by the name ‘Casemito’ which in his native language aptly means ‘peaceful’ and perhaps a reflection of his calming nature on the pitch.
2. He Was Loaned To Real Madrid
Despite eventually evolving into a legend of the Bernabeu, Casemiro’s time in the Spanish Capital didn’t begin in the same fashion. The Brazilian was actually brought in as part of a fairly low-key loan from Brasileirão side São Paulo FC in January 2013. Also, Casemiro wasn’t immediately included in Real Madrid’s senior squad and instead was assigned to play in the second-tier Segunda Division with their B-team. It took over four months for Casemiro to earn his La Liga debut, finally making an appearance in a 3-1 home victory against Real Betis. In June 2014 he signed a four-year deal with a fee of nearly £15 million.
But his new contract wouldn’t signal Casemiro’s immediate success and he was again loaned out, this time to Porto for the duration of the 2014/15 season, making 41 appearances in Portugal and scoring four goals.
3. His Nickname Is ‘The Tank’
Casemiro isn’t particularly known by any nicknames within the media or fanbases. But over the course of his career, he’s actually had two! Born in São José Dos Campos, the Brazilian was raised in the city’s football youth system and became Captain of his local side at age eleven. As a youngster, he was handed the nickname ‘Destroyer’ by the Brazilian press, who recognised his competitive style, energy, and thirst to win the ball. Casemiro was also renowned for his willingness to track and press the opposition whilst covering a lot of ground during every game.
This reputation quickly grew and after moving to Real Madrid, Spanish newspaper Marca rebranded him as ‘The Tank.’ With maturity, he’d added to his previous skillset a sense of consistency, a strong mentality, and an endless determination to win. Both nicknames imply an overly aggressive player with a beastly nature which is partly accurate, although Casemiro does have a good disciplinary record and his poise has been compared to the pioneer of the defensive midfielder role - Real Madrid and Chelsea legend Claude Makelele.
4. He Has A Surprising Injury Record
Season after season, Casemiro has proven to be a nearly immovable and infallible engine in the centre of the football pitch. Yet the Brazilian has a surprising injury record which seems a likely result of his dogged style of play. Over the course of a five-year period, from 2014 to 2019, Casemiro has accumulated six significant spells on the sidelines due to injury. In total, he was unavailable for 135 days!
Many of his issues are repetitive, seemingly plagued by multiple ankle sprains and muscle issues. However, Casemiro's most serious injury was a fracture to his fibula during the 2016/17 season, which put the Brazilian out of action for over two months.
5. He Has Won A Lot Of Honours!
Casemiro has a monumental trophy haul. Since 2012 the Brazilian has amassed an incredible twenty titles for both club and country. In less than 600 appearances, contributing nearly sixty goals in the process, Casemiro has won silverware both in South America and Spain along with titles on the European stage - and even internationally with Brazil.
Casemiro’s first achievement was in winning the Copa Sudamericana with São Paulo, a competition much like the Europa League, fought out between the most prestigious teams in South America.
But it was at Real Madrid that his list of honours skyrocketed! Since 2014, Casemiro has won three La Liga titles, a Copa Del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups. His continental honours include five Champions Leagues (amassed across only eight seasons), three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups. In 2019, Casemiro also lifted the Copa America with the Brazilian national side.
6. Jose Mourinho Is One Of His Biggest Fans
There aren’t many better endorsements than those that come from one of the greatest managers in the sport's history. In 2013, towards the end of his time as Real Madrid boss, Mourinho revealed to Casemiro exactly how highly he regarded his Brazilian midfielder.
“[He told me] 'I know you, you are good, and you are going to be the best central midfielder in the world',” Casemiro told Spanish newspaper Cope back in 2018. "He gave me this confidence. I left the dressing room believing that I was Cristiano Ronaldo. “I was left believing that I was the best in the world. The confidence and energy that he gave me was incredible. I was left believing that I was the best in the world. The confidence and energy that he gave me was incredible.”
7. He Was On A Mission Before Joining Manchester United
Even before joining Manchester United in the summer of 2022, Casemiro made his intentions to ‘fix’ the club very clear, showing the character that United fans have already grown to love. From his home in Spain, having just watched his new side concede four goals in 36 first-half minutes against Brentford, Casemiro immediately texted his agent with a determination to solve the problems they were facing. “Tell them I’ll fix this,” Casemiro insisted.
The Brazilian has kept his promise and is now a mainstay in Manchester United’s midfield. He has brought stability and consistency to Old Trafford, seeing the Red Devils rise up the table to become genuine Premier League title contenders once again!