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The challenge that is United
Casemiro has played his final match for Manchester United. The 34-year-old Brazilian bid farewell to the club last month against Brighton, bringing to a close a spell marked by ups and downs, intense criticism and an impressive comeback.
He joined United in 2022, after nearly a decade at Real Madrid. In Spain, he formed, alongside Luka Modrić – winner of the 2018 Ballon d’Or – and Toni Kroos – a five-time nominee for the award – one of the most dominant midfields in recent football history. For 'Los Blancos’, he won three La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies, amongst many others.
He was signed by then-United manager Erik ten Hag in mid-2022, following an extremely disappointing season for the ‘Red Devils’, who recorded their lowest points tally in the Premier League era and failed to qualify for the Champions League. Casemiro arrived as the answer for a team in urgent need of leadership, organisation and experience.
In Manchester, he was reunited with two former Real Madrid teammates: Raphaël Varane – a 2018 Ballon d’Or nominee – and Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the award.
His first season in England was excellent. Strong in defence, tactically disciplined and decisive in attack, Casemiro became a key player for the team and one of the key figures in winning the EFL Cup – United’s first title since 2017. He even scored the opening goal in the final against Newcastle. In the Premier League, the club finished third and secured a place in the Champions League.
When the world doubted
But the picture changed over the next two years.
Amid injuries and physical problems, his form dipped and the criticism mounted. At times, it was particularly harsh.
During a poor run in the 2023–24 season, the pundit and former England centre-back Jamie Carragher made a statement that reverberated through the football world: “I always remember the saying ‘quit football before football quits you’. Football has already quit him. At this level, he needs to admit he’s reached his limit and stop.” (Sky Sports)
The comment quickly became a topic of debate among fans around the world.
The comeback
Fortunately, Casemiro did not heed Carragher’s advice.
He ignored the outside noise and kept working to rediscover the level he knew he was more than capable of reaching. As he put it himself: “Work, work, work. Talk to the manager about how you can change. That’s what I do. I ask the manager: ‘What do I need to do to play? I can play in this team. I’ll give it a go.’" (Rio Ferdinand Presents)
His persistence paid off.
Under new manager Michael Carrick, Casemiro enjoyed what will likely be remembered as his best season at the club. In addition to his traditional marking ability and defensive awareness, he began to make a decisive contribution in attack. In 35 matches, he scored 9 goals – the highest tally in a single season throughout his career.
"One of the greatest achievements of my career, without a doubt, was this comeback." – Casemiro
United also returned to form, enjoying a campaign that saw the team qualify for the Champions League once again.
Speaking about his resurgence, the midfielder recently stated: “I always wanted to play for this club, to prove to this club that I was capable, to prove to the fans that I am a player worthy of this club. That’s always been me and I’ve always tried to show that at this club. So, one of the greatest achievements of my career, without a doubt, was this comeback.” (TNT Sports Brasil)
Keen to end his spell on a high note, Casemiro has announced that he will leave United at the end of the season. In his final match at Old Trafford, he received a standing ovation from the fans. In four seasons at the club, he played 160 matches, scored 26 goals and was part of a cycle that took United to five finals and two titles: the 2022–23 English League Cup and the 2023–24 FA Cup.
In the end, he proved many critics wrong.
“I think it’s good to have experience, because you know how to deal with criticism, and you know what not to listen to.” – Casemiro
Later this month, Carragher himself published an article acknowledging the change in the narrative: ‘It must be admitted that the suggestion that Casemiro was “finished” at the highest level was too harsh and premature. [...] He deserves credit for having changed the perception of his time at United as he prepares to say goodbye.’ (The Telegraph)
Although he considered the initial comments disrespectful, Casemiro chose to focus on what he had built: he leaves Manchester United as one of the fans’ most beloved players during a particularly turbulent period for the club, cementing his legacy as one of the great defensive midfielders of the modern era.
Silencing the noise
A key factor in this was his ability to filter out much of the criticism he considers unconstructive and based on negativity – something particularly prevalent in the heated rhetoric of social media. In his own words: “I don’t have social media on my phone and I don’t use social media, because after all, everyone has an opinion these days and everyone wants to go viral. These days, everyone has an opinion, everyone’s a pundit, everyone’s a star, everyone plays brilliantly, everyone understands. If you win today, you’re the best; if you lose, you’re the worst. I think that sums up today. I think we have to know how to assess things; we have to know what’s being done well and what’s being done badly. But these days, with social media and phones, everyone knows everything and yet nobody knows anything. You’re the ultimate authority on everything. The good thing about having a certain amount of experience is that you know whether you’re playing well, whether you’re not playing well, whether it was just one game or not, whether the timing is right… Because nobody’s a robot. Everyone can have ups and downs. But I think it’s good to have experience, because you know how to deal with criticism, and you know what not to listen to.” (TNT Sports Brasil)
At a time when mental health is taking up an increasingly prominent place in the debate about football, Casemiro understands the importance of preserving his own inner peace and limiting his exposure to the online environment – where criticism can range from reasonable to extreme.
For him, maturity and experience are key to “tuning out the noise”.
The next generation
The impact, however, is often even greater on younger players.
Earlier this year, Endrick – a 19-year-old Brazilian striker tipped by many as one of the future stars of the national team – spoke about the difficulties he faced: “When I started [playing], I dealt very badly with social media and criticism. I’d leave the pitch and go straight to Twitter (X), to social media, to see what people were saying about me. I wanted to boost my ego. But that’s not good. Thank God, that phase is over. When the match ends, I stay calm and focus on my recovery. I don’t care about that criticism anymore.” (The Guardian)
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Even though he has found greater peace of mind by avoiding excessive exposure to social media, the youngster still stated: "Football isn’t a pleasant place. It’s a very difficult environment." (The Guardian)
The pressure of the Amarelinha
Both Endrick and Casemiro have been called up by Carlo Ancelotti to represent the Brazilian national team at the World Cup.
The pressure on Brazil at the tournament is unique. Every four years, expectations, demands and scrutiny resurface – a burden that many point to as one of the factors behind the drought that has lasted since 2002. Casemiro explains: "There is no greater pressure than playing in a World Cup for the Brazilian national team. It’s not playing for Real Madrid, it’s not playing for United. When it comes to the Brazilian national team, the pressure is much greater. Because at Real Madrid and United, you have another chance next year. With the national team, it’s four years from now.” (TNT Sports Brasil)
At 34, he will be one of the leaders of the Seleção. Alongside him will be young talents ready to take to football’s biggest stage – such as Endrick and also Rayan, the 19-year-old Bournemouth striker.
Casemiro acknowledges that combating the negative effects of social media and online criticism can be a greater challenge for these younger, less experienced players. His advice is simple: “If I could give my opinion to a young player, to a lad who’s going to play in his first World Cup, I’d say that not looking at social media and not looking at the internet would be perfect, it would be ideal. But it’s impossible. We have to be realistic and we have to be honest about everything. And I respect the opinion of those who use it. I’m a very laid-back guy about it. But I don’t have it on my mobile. For me, with these social media platforms, there’s far more to lose than to gain from having a mobile. But I respect everyone’s opinion. I only use my mobile to talk to my family and my loved ones.” (TNT Sports Brasil)
The final chapter – for now
It is not yet known where Casemiro will go next, but there will certainly be no shortage of clubs keen to benefit from his experience, leadership and determination – the very qualities he will take into his third World Cup, in an attempt to guide Brazil to their first title in the tournament in over 20 years.
To do so, he will rely not only on his on-pitch attributes – intensity, physical presence and decision-making – but also on those he has built off the pitch: resilience, focus and mental strength.
