Player Profile
Fábio Henrique Tavares (born 23 October 1993), known as Fabinho (Brazilian Portuguese: [faˈbĩɲu]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for and captains Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and the Brazil national team. A versatile player, he can also be deployed as a centre-back. Praised for his tackling, vision and reading of the game, he is considered one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation. Fabinho began his career at Paulínia FC and subsequently transferred to Fluminense and Rio Ave in 2012. He spent his entire time in Portugal out on loan, first at Real Madrid Castilla, and made one substitute appearance for the first team. He spent five years at Monaco, playing 233 total games and scoring 31 goals, and he won Ligue 1 in the 2016–17 season. He was recognised a major player at the Monegasque club. Fabinho then transferred to Liverpool for a reported transfer fee of £39 million. In his debut season at Liverpool he won the UEFA Champions League. Victories in the UEFA Super Cup and in the FIFA Club World Cup preceded Fabinho playing a significant role in Liverpool winning the 2019–20 Premier League. He also won the FA Cup and EFL Cup with Liverpool in the 2021–22 season and won the FA Community Shield the following year. Fabinho has received much credit for his role in Liverpool's resurgence over the years. In 2023, Fabinho officially joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad, where he won the Saudi Pro League and King's Cup two years later. Fabinho made his international debut for Brazil in 2015, and was part of their squads at the Copa América in 2015, 2016 and 2021, finishing in second place in the latter competition. Fabinho was also selected as part of Brazil's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a tournament in which they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
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