Quick Facts
Aries
Biography
Caio Lucas Fernandes (born 19 April 1994), known simply as Caio [ˈkaj.u], is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Emirati Club Sharjah on loan from Portuguese club Benfica.
Career
Born in Araçatuba, São Paulo, Caio 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. Almost aged 17, he moved to Japan that year to enroll in Chiba Kokusai High School in Kimitsu, where he played for three years.
After his graduation, Caio joined J1 League club 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. 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.
On 23 January 2020, Sharjah signs Brazilian Caio Lucas Fernández from the Portuguese club Benfica on loan for 18 months .
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 28 December 2018
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kashima Antlers | 2014 | J1 League | 30 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 9 | ||
| 2015 | J1 League | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 42 | 12 | ||
| 2016 | J1 League | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 21 | 6 | |||
| Total | 78 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | 100 | 27 | |||
| Al Ain | 2016–17 | UAE Pro-League | 24 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 5 | — | 47 | 18 | |
| 2017–18 | UAE Pro-League | 19 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 1 | — | 34 | 13 | ||
| 2018–19 | UAE Pro-League | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 24 | 14 | |
| Total | 55 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 105 | 45 | ||
| Career total | 133 | 44 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 15 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 205 | 72 | ||
Honours
Kashima Antlers
- J1 League: 2016
- J.League Cup: 2015
Al Ain
- UAE Pro-League: 2017–18
- UAE President's Cup: 2017–18
Individual
- J.League Rookie of the Year: 2014
- FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2018
