FIFA Men's World Cup

Top 50 players at World Cup 2022, No. 18: Casemiro

Published Nov. 2, 2022 9:09 p.m. ET

FOX Sports soccer analyst and former USMNT midfielder Stu Holden is counting down the 50 best players participating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Up next is …

Casemiro

Country: Brazil
Rank: 18
Rank in 2018: N/A
Position: Midfielder
Age: 30

If Brazil lines up with one holding midfielder in Qatar, you can almost guarantee that it will be Casemiro. Casemiro, a five-time Champions League-winner with Real Madrid, has earned a reputation for being a defensive menace in the midfield and Brazil will need all of that energy to balance their wealth of attacking talent.

"He is player that’s just a general in the midfield, and if Brazil are to make a deep run once again — and go on to win their first World Cup since 2002 — then they’re going to need Casemiro at the heart of that leading everything for his country."