Caio Lucas

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Caio Lucas

| image = Caio Benfica-Zenit UCL201920.jpg

| caption = Caio Lucas playing for Benfica in 2019

| full_name = Caio Lucas Fernandes{{cite web |title=FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018: List of Players: Al Ain FC |url=https://tournament.fifadata.com/documents/FCWC/2018/pdf/FCWC_2018_SQUADLISTS.PDF |publisher=FIFA |page=1 |date=6 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206234932/https://tournament.fifadata.com/documents/FCWC/2018/pdf/FCWC_2018_SQUADLISTS.PDF |archive-date=6 December 2018 |url-status=dead}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|4|19|df=y}}

| birth_place = Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil

| height = 1.74 m{{cite web |url=https://www.uaeproleague.ae/en/player/caio-lucas-fernandes/adnoc-pro-league-2 |title=Caio Lucas |publisher=UAE Pro League |access-date=10 July 2023 }}

| 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 = 77

| goals5 = 53

| nationalyears1 = 2025–

| nationalteam1 = United Arab Emirates

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| club-update = 28 January 2025

| nationalteam-update = 25 March 2025

}}

Caio Lucas Fernandes (born 19 April 1994), known as Caio Lucas or just Caio {{IPA|pt|ˈkajju|}}, is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for UAE Pro League club Sharjah. Born in Brazil, he represents the United Arab Emirates at international level.

Club career

Born in Araçatuba, São Paulo,{{cite news|last=Rodrigues|first=Alexander|date=21 December 2018|title=Araçatuba terá representante na Final do Mundial de Clubes deste sábado|trans-title=Araçatuba will have a representative in the Club World Cup final this Saturday|url=http://www.folhadaregiao.com.br/2018/12/22/aracatuba-tera-representante-na-final-do-mundial-de-clubes-deste-sabado|language=pt|work=Folha da Região|access-date=27 June 2019}} 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.[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'] Almost aged 17, he moved to Japan that year to enroll in Chiba Kokusai High School in Kimitsu, where he played for three years.{{cite news|title=J-League Preview: 8 Players to Watch in the Campaign to Come|url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2015/03/j-league-preview-8-players-to-watch-in-the-campaign-to-come/|work=Tokyo Weekender|date=6 March 2015|access-date=8 June 2015|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618125705/https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2015/03/j-league-preview-8-players-to-watch-in-the-campaign-to-come/|url-status=dead}}

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.{{cite news|title=Yasuhito Endo Pickedas 2014 J.LEAGUE Player of the Year December|url=http://www.jleague.jp/en/news/20141209-01.html|work=J. League|date=9 December 2014|access-date=8 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204080749/http://www.jleague.jp/en/news/20141209-01.html|archive-date=4 February 2015}} 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.{{cite news|date=27 May 2019|title=Reforço do Benfica despede-se do Al Ain|trans-title=Benfica signing says goodbye to Al Ain|url=https://www.abola.pt/Clubes/Noticias/Ver/790224/40|language=pt|access-date=27 May 2019}}{{cite news|last=Rebelo|first=Marco|date=27 June 2019|title=Bem-vindo, Caio Lucas!|trans-title=Welcome, Caio Lucas!|url=https://www.slbenfica.pt/en-us/agora/noticias/2018-2019/06/27/futebol-benfica-caio-lucas-declaracoes-btv-reforco|language=pt|work=S.L. Benfica|access-date=27 June 2019}}

On 23 January 2020, Sharjah signed Caio Lucas from Benfica on loan for 18 months.{{cite web |title=Sharjah signs Brazilian Caio Lucas Fernández from the Portuguese club Benfica on loan for 18 months |url=https://twitter.com/SharjahFC/status/1220345463959904256 |website=Twitter |language=ar |date=23 January 2020}}

International career

Born in Brazil, Caio Lucas became a naturalized Emirati and was called up to the United Arab Emirates national team for the first time by manager Paulo Bento in March 2025 for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.{{cite web |title=Our squad for this month's World Cup 2026 Qualifiers against IR Iran and DPR Korea |url=https://x.com/UAEFNT/status/1897269853469466835 |website=Twitter.com |publisher=UAE NT |access-date=5 March 2025 |format=Tweet}} He made his debut for the UAE in a 2–0 loss to Iran on 20 March.{{cite web|url=https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/iran-dominates-uae-20-in-world-cup-qualifier-276630|title=Iran Dominates UAE 2-0 In World Cup Qualifier|website=The Pinnacle Gazette|date=20 March 2025|accessdate=4 April 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/2025/03/25/sultan-adil-returns-to-clinch-uae-victory-with-stoppage-time-goal-against-north-korea/|title=Sultan Adil returns to clinch UAE victory with stoppage-time goal against North Korea|website=The National News|date=25 March 2025|accessdate=2 April 2025}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National cup{{efn\|Includes Emperor's Cup, UAE President's Cup, Taça de Portugal}} !colspan="2"\|League cup{{efn\|Includes J.League Cup, UAE League Cup, Taça da Liga}} !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
rowspan="4"\|Kashima Antlers \|2014 \|J1 League \|30	8	1	1	6	0	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	37	9
2015 \|J1 League \|32	10	0	0	4	2	6{{efn\|name=ACL\|Appearances in AFC Champions League}}	0	colspan="2"\|—	42	12
2016 \|J1 League \|16	5	0	0	5	1	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	21	6
colspan="2"\|Total !78	23	1	1	15	3	6	0	colspan="2"\|—	100	27
rowspan="5"\|Al Ain \|2016–17 \|UAE Pro League \|24	12	2	0	5	1	6{{efn\|name=ACL}}	2	colspan="2"\|—	37	15
2017–18 \|UAE Pro League \|19	5	3	3	5	4	10{{efn\|name=ACL}}	3	colspan="2"\|—	38	15
2018–19 \|UAE Pro League \|22	7	1	1	6	7	7{{efn\|name=ACL}}	1	5{{efn\|One appearance and one goal in UAE Super Cup, four appearances and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup}}	2	41	18
2019–20 \|UAE Pro League \|colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	colspan="2"\|—	3{{efn\|name=ACL}}	0	colspan="2"\|—	3	0
colspan="2"\|Total !65	24	6	4	16	12	26	6	5	2	118	48
Benfica \|2019–20 \|Primeira Liga \|4	1	2	0	2	0	3{{efn\|name=UCL\|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}	0	0	0	11	1
rowspan="7"\|Sharjah \|2019–20 \|UAE Pro League \|26	2	2	1	0	0	6{{efn\|name=ACL}}	2	colspan="2"\|—	13	5
2020–21 \|UAE Pro League \|21	6	3	1	2	0	5{{efn\|name=ACL}}	1	colspan="2"\|—	31	8
2021–22 \|UAE Pro League \|20	14	5	3	4	1	7{{efn\|name=ACL}}	2	1{{efn\|name=USC\|Appearance in UAE Super Cup}}	0	37	20
2022–23 \|UAE Pro League \|22	9	4	2	4	1	colspan="2"\|—	1{{efn\|name=USC}}	0	29	12
2023–24 \|UAE Pro League \|22	11	2	1	2	0	8{{efn\|name=ACL}}	2	1{{efn\|name=USC}}	0	35	14
2024–25 \|UAE Pro League \|23	7	2	2	3	4	5{{efn\|Appearances in AFC Champions League Two}}	3	0	0	23	16
colspan="2"\|Total !104	49	18	10	15	6	29	12	3	0	171	75
colspan="3"\|Career total !275	97	27	15	48	21	66	16	8	2	400	154

=International=

{{updated|match played 25 March 2025}}{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/caio-lucas_3/4/ |title=Caio Lucas: Internationals |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |date= |access-date=4 April 2025}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
rowspan="1"\|United Arab Emirates \|2025	2	0
colspan="2"\|Total\|\|2\|\|0

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team

Year

Apps

Goals

rowspan="1"|United Arab Emirates

|2025

colspan="2"|Total||2||0

Honours

Kashima Antlers

J1 League: 2016
J.League Cup: 2015

Al Ain

Sharjah

UAE President’s Cup: 2022–23
AFC Champions League Two: 2024–25

Individual

J.League Rookie of the Year: 2014
FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/bale-caio-and-borre-sweep-awards|title=Bale, Caio and Borre sweep awards|website=FIFA|date=22 December 2018|access-date=11 January 2019}}
AFC Champions League Two Most Valuable Player: 2024–25{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DJzIKONT1Ab/?igsh=MXJ3cjc5dWtydG1lYQ==| title=Instagram }}