Casemiro told Manchester United he would fix them, and briefly did
After Manchester United were thrashed 4–0 by Brentford in 2022, Casemiro reportedly had his agent pass on a blunt message: "Tell them I'll fix it." He arrived from Real Madrid with five Champions League winner's medals, and within six months he had scored the opener in the EFL Cup final, ending the club's longest trophy drought since 2017.
His rise had been anything but instant. Born in São José dos Campos, Carlos Henrique Casimiro came through São Paulo FC's youth system, where he captained its sides from the age of 11. Real Madrid took him on loan in January 2013 and started him in the reserve team in Spain's second tier before making the move permanent. Breaking into the first team proved hard, so in July 2014 he went on loan to Porto, where he played 41 games and curled in a free kick against Basel in the Champions League.
Madrid bought him back in June 2015, and when Zinedine Zidane took over, the young Brazilian became the shield in front of the back line. He played all 120 minutes of the 2016 final against Atlético Madrid, struck from long range in the 2017 final against Juventus, and was part of the side that won three straight European titles. By the time he left he had collected three La Liga titles as well.
Old Trafford brought highs and lows. The EFL Cup final against Newcastle United in February 2023 earned him the Alan Hardaker Trophy, yet that season he was also the only Premier League player sent off twice. A rough afternoon against Liverpool in September 2024, when two first-half errors led to goals, drew heavy criticism. Still, when his departure was confirmed in January 2026, fans at Old Trafford sang "One more year, Casemiro"; in July 2026 he joined Inter Miami.
For Brazil he made his debut at 19 against Argentina in September 2011, started in the 3–1 win over Peru in the 2019 Copa América final at the Maracanã, and scored the only goal against Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup.
Source: Casemiro
