Caio Lucas Explained

Caio Lucas
Full Name:Caio Lucas Fernandes[1]
Birth Date:19 April 1994
Birth Place:Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil
Height:1.74 m[2]
Currentclub:Sharjah
Clubnumber:7
Position:Winger
Youthyears1:2002–2005
Youthclubs1:América-SP
Youthyears2:2005–2009
Youthclubs2:São Paulo
Youthyears3:2009–2011
Youthclubs3:América-SP
Youthyears4:2011–2013
Youthclubs4:Chiba Kokusai High School
Years1:2014–2016
Clubs1:Kashima Antlers
Caps1:78
Goals1:23
Years2:2016–2019
Clubs2:Al Ain
Caps2:62
Goals2:23
Years3:2019–2021
Clubs3:Benfica
Caps3:4
Goals3:1
Years4:2020–2021
Clubs4:Sharjah (loan)
Caps4:27
Goals4:8
Years5:2021–
Clubs5:Sharjah
Caps5:64
Goals5:34
Club-Update:6 Juin 2024

Caio Lucas Fernandes (born 19 April 1994), known as Caio Lucas or just Caio pronounced as /pt/, is a Emirati-Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Emirati Club Sharjah.

Born in Brazil, Luanzinho acquired Emirati citizenship in 2024.

Career

Born in Araçatuba, São Paulo,[3] Caio Lucas started playing football in 2002, aged 8, at local clubs SMER Bosque Araçatuba and América-SP. He then played for São Paulo's youth teams from 2005 to 2009 but could not become professional, so he left the club and unsuccessfully tried to join rivals Santos and Palmeiras before returning to América. In 2011, when he was prepared to give up on football, he was discovered by a Japanese university that was playing in Birigui, Brazil.[4] Almost aged 17, he moved to Japan that year to enroll in Chiba Kokusai High School in Kimitsu, where he played for three years.[3] [5]

After his graduation, Caio Lucas joined the J1 League club, the Kashima Antlers in 2014. In his first professional season, under the coaching of Toninho Cerezo, Caio scored eight goals as Kashima Antlers qualified for the AFC Champions League. Moreover, he was named J. League's Young Player of the Year in 2014 and won the 2016 J1 League and 2015 J.League Cup.[6] In 2019, following a three-year spell with Emirati club Al Ain, with whom he reached the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup Final, Caio signed a four-year contract with Portuguese club Benfica.[7] [8]

On 23 January 2020, Sharjah signed Caio Lucas from Benfica on loan for 18 months.[9]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Kashima Antlers2014J1 League3081160379
201532100042604212
20161650051216
Total7823111536010027
Al Ain2016–17UAE Pro-League241220511454518
2017–181953354913613
2018–19227116730523717
Total65246416122665211851
Benfica2019–20Primeira Liga4120203000111
Sharjah2019–20UAE Pro League62210062135
2020–21216312051318
2021–222014534172103720
2022–232294241102912
2023–242211212082103514
Total91421681232673014859
Career total2389025134517611382377138

Honours

Kashima Antlers

2016

2015

Al Ain

2017–18

2017–18

Sharjah

Individual

2014

2018[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018: List of Players: Al Ain FC . FIFA . 1 . 6 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181206234932/https://tournament.fifadata.com/documents/FCWC/2018/pdf/FCWC_2018_SQUADLISTS.PDF . 6 December 2018 . dead.
  2. Web site: Caio Lucas . UAE Pro League . 10 July 2023 .
  3. News: Rodrigues. Alexander. 21 December 2018. Araçatuba terá representante na Final do Mundial de Clubes deste sábado. Araçatuba will have a representative in the Club World Cup final this Saturday. pt. Folha da Região. 27 June 2019.
  4. http://espn.uol.com.br/noticia/682641_desiludido-apos-dispensa-do-sao-paulo-ele-foi-estudar-no-japao-e-acabou-virando-sheik-nos-emirados-so-nao-tenho-harem Desiludido após dispensa do São Paulo, ele foi estudar no Japão e acabou virando sheik nos Emirados: 'Só não tenho harém'
  5. News: J-League Preview: 8 Players to Watch in the Campaign to Come. Tokyo Weekender. 6 March 2015. 8 June 2015. 18 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180618125705/https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2015/03/j-league-preview-8-players-to-watch-in-the-campaign-to-come/. dead.
  6. News: Yasuhito Endo Pickedas 2014 J.LEAGUE Player of the Year December. J. League. 9 December 2014. 8 June 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150204080749/http://www.jleague.jp/en/news/20141209-01.html. 4 February 2015.
  7. News: 27 May 2019. Reforço do Benfica despede-se do Al Ain. Benfica signing says goodbye to Al Ain. pt. 27 May 2019.
  8. News: Rebelo. Marco. 27 June 2019. Bem-vindo, Caio Lucas!. Welcome, Caio Lucas!. pt. S.L. Benfica. 27 June 2019.
  9. Web site: Sharjah signs Brazilian Caio Lucas Fernández from the Portuguese club Benfica on loan for 18 months . Twitter . ar . 23 January 2020.
  10. Web site: Bale, Caio and Borre sweep awards. FIFA. 22 December 2018. 11 January 2019.