Resurgent Casemiro showing class is permanent

• Casemiro has been in exceptional form for Manchester United

• Midfielder expected to play important role for Brazil at World Cup 2026

• FIFA shines spotlight on his revival and his bond with Seleção coach Carlo Ancelotti

One year ago, Casemiro’s days of regularly performing on the game’s biggest stages appeared to be numbered.

He had been an unused substitute for a fifth straight Manchester United Premier League game and was also out of favour with Brazil, having not played for the national team since 2023.

Given his history of consistent excellence and his glittering CV, Casemiro’s legacy had long been secured, but this remarkable footballer was not done yet.

The Brazilian drew on his reserves of perseverance and competitive spirit and has once again established himself as a pivotal figure for club and country. Casemiro has delivered a succession of world-class performances for United this season and looks primed to be at the heart of Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil team at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

FIFA looks at the resurgence of one of the greatest defensive midfielders of his generation.

Star of the show

Sunday, 1 February 2026. Old Trafford is bouncing after Manchester United’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham, which was clinched with a stoppage-time Benjamin Sesko goal.

It’s Casemiro’s name which is being belted by the roaring thousands inside United’s famous stadium, however, as fans serenade their Brazilian hero after yet another virtuoso display. Against that jubilant backdrop, Casemiro’s team-mates warmly and enthusiastically embrace the midfielder, with Sesko later summing up the affection in which he is held.

“He is an unbelievable player, a legend,” said the Slovenian striker. “It is nice to play with him and it is also nice to listen to his advice. His work rate is unbelievable, and he gives all his teams a boost.”

Ahead of Sesko’s last-gasp winner, Casemiro had headed United’s first goal before assisting compatriot Matheus Cunha’s strike with an audacious no-look pass. He was awarded the Player of the Match award; his second in three games after taking the prize for a dominant display in his team’s Manchester derby win two weeks previously.

Casemiro’s form has not been a recent phenomenon, though, with the 33-year-old among United’s finest performers all season.

Across the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, he has made more tackles (52) and blocks (12) than any player in the Reds’ team, while he ranks second for duels won (107) and interceptions (16). Casemiro has also provided an attacking threat, with his strike against Fulham his fifth in the top-flight this term.

His output in the final third has been a feature of his time in England. He has netted 22 goals for United at a rate of one every 6.7 matches, a marked increase from his average of one goal every 10.8 matches with Real Madrid.

Yet to strip the Sao Paolo native’s contribution down to numbers would be a disservice. Casemiro’s experience, tactical knowhow and leadership have shone through during a tumultuous period for the club, which parted ways with coach Ruben Amorim at the start of the year.

Amorim had used the midfielder sparingly in his first months with the club, but later hailed Casemiro’s elite professionalism and saluted him as a “great example” after he forced his way back into the team.

Michael Carrick, who has replaced the Portuguese in the United hot-seat, has also described Casemiro as a player he has “huge respect for”.

And while Casemiro has confirmed he will leave United upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, Carrick has no doubts about his commitment to the cause.

“Case has been such a presence since I came,” he added. “You see how motivated and driven he is. You only achieve what he has achieved by having that – and he's desperate for a big finish.”

Back with Brazil

Casemiro’s absence from Brazil’s 2024 Copa America represented a nadir in his international career. While coach Dorival Junior insisted he was a player who continued to deserve “consideration, affection and respect”, his omission was striking and did not bode well for his prospects of competing at World Cup 2026.

Indeed, Casemiro did not feature for Brazil again during Dorival Junior's tenure, but his dismissal in March 2025 and Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment proved to be pivot point. Casemiro and Ancelotti had enjoyed significant success together at Real Madrid, with two of the midfielder’s five Champions League triumphs coming under the legendary Italian coach.

Ancelotti selected Casemiro in his first Brazil squad as Seleção boss and he has been in the starting XI for seven of the 66-year-old's eight matches in charge. The only game Casemiro missed – a World Cup qualifier against Bolivia – was due to injury.

“He is the most important player to balance the team when we have the ball,” said Ancelotti. “He is really intelligent, tactically, and [he provides] really important leadership in the squad”.

Casemiro’s status in Ancelotti’s team was further underlined when he was named as captain for their friendly matches against Korea Republic and Japan in October. While Ancelotti has not confirmed who his regular skipper will be – Marquinhos wore the armband for Brazil’s two most recent matches – he explained how Casemiro leads by example.

“He knows the demands of the top level, he knows how to manage difficult moments and motivate his team-mates,” added Ancelotti. “Casemiro is an exemplary player, respected by all.”

The admiration is mutual. Casemiro provided an insight into the pair’s bond when describing the scenes upon his departure from Madrid to United.

“I only doubted my move to Manchester once,” he revealed in an interview with El Chiringuito de Jugones in 2024. “I remember it was a Friday afternoon and it [the transfer] was all but done except for my signature. I went to speak with Ancelotti. I went into his office and he already knew. I opened the door and Ancelotti was crying. I told him, 'You can't be crying. Anyone but you. He told me, 'Case, I don't know why I'm crying, but I'm very fond of you and I don't want you to leave.’ That was the moment [I doubted]... I realised how many people loved me there. But I had already given my word." Reunited and ready for World Cup 2026, Casemiro and Ancelotti have their sights fixed on their greatest triumph yet.

Third time lucky?

World Cup 2026 will represent Casemiro’s third crack at the global finals. While he made his senior international debut in 2011 aged 19, he did not become an instant Brazil regular and wasn’t in the squad which competed on home soil at the 2014 showpiece.

By Russia 2018, Casemiro had emerged as one of the finest midfielders on the planet and was an influential member of Brazil’s team. He started the Seleção's first four matches at the tournament but was suspended for their quarter-final showdown with Belgium after receiving bookings against Switzerland and Mexico. Casemiro’s absence was acutely felt as Brazil fell to a 2-1 defeat against Roberto Martinez’s side.

Casemiro remained an integral figure when Qatar 2022 rolled around. He bagged his first World Cup goal at the tournament, rifling home a superb late winner in a group-stage clash with the Swiss.

Brazil went on to reach the last eight again, where they were eliminated in agonising fashion by Croatia. The game went all the way to penalties and, while Casemiro was on target from the spot, the European side came out on top.

Casemiro’s World Cup campaigns to date have ended in frustration and heartbreak.

A born winner, reinvigorated and with the sport’s ultimate prize on the line, he’ll be hell-bent on changing that story.