Fabinho began his career at
Fluminense and subsequently transferred to
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.[C] Fabinho then transferred to Liverpool for a reported transfer fee of £39 million.[18] 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 season. Fabinho has received much credit for his role in Liverpool's resurgence over the years.[D] In 2023, Fabinho officially joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
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.
Early life
Fabinho was born in
Campinas, São Paulo, to Joao Roberto Tavares and Rosangela Tavares.[26][27]
Club career
Early career
Fabinho began his career at
Fluminense. He was called into a first team matchday squad for the only time on 20 May 2012, as he was an unused
substitute in a 1–0 win over
Corinthians for
the season'sSérie A.[28] On 8 June 2012, Fabinho joined Portuguese
Primeira Liga club
Rio Ave on a six-year contract.[29] Upon arriving in
Vila do Conde, Fabinho was greeted by his new manager,
Nuno Espírito Santo.[30] Fabinho later stated that he had been informed of what to expect in
Portugal by fellow footballer
Deco, who had been with him at Fluminense.[30]
On 19 July 2013, Fabinho joined
Monaco from Rio Ave on a season-long loan deal.[36] Fabinho chose to move to Monaco as he was confident of receiving regular playing time there and as he was sure of Monaco's status as a prominent club. His decision was made in this way despite the fact that the coaches at Real Madrid Castilla had notified him that he would have a good chance of moving up to the first team.[30] Fabinho took the
squad number 2 to wear on his shirt. He made his debut on 10 August at the
Stade Chaban-Delmas in Monaco's opening Ligue 1 match of the
2013–14 season, playing the entire match against
Bordeaux, with Monaco winning 2–0.[37] He scored his first goal for Monaco in the 58th minute in their 6–0 home win over
Lens in the quarter-finals of the
2013–14 Coupe de France on 26 March 2014.[38]
"His versatility, his youth and his attitude mark him out as a player with a big future. It's also a source of pride to see him make it into the Brazilian squad."
The former Monaco vice-president
Vadim Vasilyev on Fabinho upon the announcement of his permanent transfer.[16]
On 19 May 2015, after two seasons on loan at Monaco, Monaco and Rio Ave agreed on the permanent transfer of Fabinho; he signed a contract with Monaco for the next four seasons and would be tied to the club until 30 June 2019.[40] On 20 March 2016, Fabinho won a penalty when fouled by compatriot
David Luiz, and converted it for a 2–0 win that was
Paris Saint-Germain's first home defeat since May 2014.[41]
On 28 May 2018,
Premier League club
Liverpool announced that Fabinho, aged 24, would sign for the club on a long-term contract for a reported initial fee of £39 million, effective 1 July.[46][47][48] It was reported that a further £4m could be added to the fee in the form of performance-related bonus payments.[46] The announcement was made days after Liverpool's loss to
Real Madrid in the
2018 UEFA Champions League final.[46] The transfer made Fabinho the 9th most expensive Brazilian footballer in history.[49] With Liverpool midfielder
Emre Can expected to depart from Liverpool for
Juventus, it was suggested by analysts that Fabinho was to be his replacement.[50][46] Fabinho took the
squad number 3 to wear on his shirt. Upon announcing his transfer, Fabinho described himself as "really excited" to be joining "a giant of a team".[46] Fabinho later commented that when he had arrived at the club he had been able to "sense that Liverpool were at the start of something really special", adding that Liverpool "had waited for this moment and [that] now was the time for harvest".[30] His debut for the club came as an injury-time substitute for
Sadio Mané in a Champions League group match against Paris Saint-Germain on 18 September, a 3–2 win at
Anfield.[51][52] He made his league debut in a 1–0 win at
Huddersfield Town on 20 October, coming on for the last 21 minutes in place of
Adam Lallana.[53] A week later he was granted a first league start in a 4–1 home victory against
Cardiff City in central midfield alongside
Georginio Wijnaldum, and received praise from
Sky Sports.[54][55] On 16 December, Fabinho provided his first assist for Liverpool, a dinked ball over the top of the opposition defence from which
Sadio Mané scored, as Liverpool defeated
Manchester United at home with a score of 3–1.[56] On 26 December, Fabinho scored his first goal for Liverpool with a late header in a 4–0 win against
Newcastle United.[57]
On 7 January 2019, Fabinho played at
centre-back against
Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round.[58][59] On 12 January 2019, Fabinho again played in a
centre-back position in a 0–1 victory against
Brighton & Hove Albion and was highly praised for his role in the win by
Garth Crooks.[60][61] On Fabinho's execution of the centre-back position in the latter match,
Ian Wright noted that he had shown his "natural defensive instincts".[62] Following such performances, manager
Jurgen Klopp praised him and stated that he was a "new centre-back option".[63] On 7 May 2019, Fabinho was a standout performer as Liverpool overturned a three-goal deficit and beat Barcelona 4–0 in the second leg of the
2018–19 UEFA Champions Leaguesemi-finals to advance to the
final.[64][30] In total, Fabinho won a total of 23 tackles, recoveries, interceptions and one-on-one challenges during the match.[65] Former Liverpool player
Jamie Carragher later noted that Fabinho was "particularly prominent" in patrolling the central zone of the pitch in the game,[66] in addition lauding him for an "exquisite" tackle on Messi.[67] Fabinho later described the game as the "biggest match" of his life and described the recitation of the '
You'll Never Walk Alone' anthem by the
Anfield crowd as the "most defining moment" of his career.[68] On 1 June, Fabinho started in the
2019 UEFA Champions League final against
Tottenham Hotspur, playing the full 90 minutes as the club secured their sixth win in the competition and as Fabinho earned his first trophy with the club.[69]
2019–20 season: Super Cup and Premier League victory
Fabinho started for Liverpool as the side finished as the runners-up to the
2019 FA Community Shield after a
penalty shoot-out.[70] On 14 August 2019, Fabinho played the full 90 minutes in the
2019 UEFA Super Cup against
Chelsea, scoring Liverpool's second penalty in the shootout after regular time ended 2–2, in an eventual 5–4 win on penalties.[71] On 27 October, he earned praise from the fans for his performance in a 2–1 win against Tottenham.[72][73] Fabinho's first goal of the season came against
Manchester City on 10 November, scoring an early long-ranged goal in an eventual 3–1 win.[74]
On 27 November 2019, during a crucial Champions League match against
Napoli, he suffered an early ankle injury after falling awkwardly during a challenge and was substituted after 18 minutes.[75] Two days later, the club announced that the injury would keep Fabinho out of action until the start of 2020.[76] On 21 December 2019, Fabinho won the
2019 FIFA Club World Cup after Liverpool beat
Flamengo in the
final.[77] On 24 June 2020, Fabinho scored a long-range goal from more than thirty
yards in a victory against
Crystal Palace and was described by journalist
Phil McNulty as a "complete operator" who "showed all sides of his game in what turned into a stroll".[78][79] The same game, he provided a brilliant pass for
Mohamed Salah to score and effectively settle the contest.[79][80] Thus, Fabinho celebrated his 41st victory in what was his 50th
Premier League appearance; only
Didier Drogba,
Arjen Robben,
Ederson and
Aymeric Laporte have won more of their opening 50 games in the competition.[79] On 25 June 2020, Liverpool won the
Premier League after
Manchester City were defeated by
Chelsea with a score of 2–1.[81][82][83][84] Fabinho played a major part in Liverpool's
2019–20 Premier League title win that season.[85][86]
2020–21 season: 100th appearance
Fabinho started for Liverpool as the side finished as the runners-up to the
2020 FA Community Shield after a
penalty shoot-out in which he scored.[87] During the
2020–21 season, Fabinho had to play as a centre-back due to the club's injury problems, one of which being the absence of key defender
Virgil van Dijk for some time.[88][89] On 20 September 2020, Fabinho was widely praised by analysts for a performance in a 0–2 victory against
Chelsea in which he made more passes (90) and gained possession more times (12) than any other player.[90][91] In a
Champions Leaguegroup stage match on 21 October 2020, Fabinho executed an overhead kick clearance off the goal-line to preserve a clean sheet for Liverpool as his side beat Ajax 1–0.[92] Fabinho was voted as man of the match by users of
BBC Sport, with manager
Jürgen Klopp later stating that Fabinho "actually" enjoyed "[playing] the position".[93] After again playing as a centre-back in a
Premier League game against
Wolverhampton Wanderers on 8 December 2020, Fabinho was praised by
Alan Shearer, who called his defending "superb".[94][95]
In December 2020, he made his 100th appearance for Liverpool.[96] On 30 December 2020, Fabinho was named in football analyst
Garth Crooks'
Premier League team of the year along with teammates
Sadio Mané,
Jordan Henderson,
Alisson Becker,
Andrew Robertson and
Trent Alexander-Arnold.[97] It was calculated that Fabinho topped all Liverpool players for tackles (64) and interceptions (38) in Premier League games in 2020.[97] On 3 August 2021, Fabinho signed a long-term contract with Liverpool until 2026.[98] In this contract, Fabinho was rewarded with a large pay rise owing to gratitude from the Liverpool management for his impressive performances and contributions to Liverpool's recent success in all competitions.[99][100][101]
2021–22 season: Further domestic and European success
"Whenever Liverpool need to dig out a result Fabinho always seems to be the man on hand to provide the grit and determination required."
On 12 September 2021, Fabinho scored his first goal of the season, tapping home from close range against
Leeds United, the second in an eventual 3–0 win.[103] On 9 January 2022, Fabinho scored his first goals in the
FA Cup, scoring the second and fourth in a 4–1 third-round victory over
Shrewsbury Town.[104] On 13 February 2022, Fabinho scored again against
Burnley from a corner to win the game.[105] The goal was his fifth goal in his past seven games in all competitions.[105] Liverpool won the
FA Cup on 15 May 2022 by beating Chelsea in the
final, which ended in a 0–0 draw after extra time with Liverpool winning 5–6 in the penalty shoot-out, although Fabinho was not in the matchday squad for the final owing to a hamstring injury.[106][107] In addition, Fabinho also won the
EFL Cup in the 2021–22 season, scoring a
Panenka-stylepenalty in the
shoot-out over Chelsea in the
final on 27 February 2022.[108][109] During the match, Fabinho won possession back nine times, the joint most alongside
Virgil Van Dijk.[110]
On 30 July 2022, Fabinho started for Liverpool in the club's 3–1 win over
Manchester City in the
FA Community Shield at the
King Power Stadium.[117] Fabinho was criticised by pundits for his performances through much of the
2022–23 season[118][119][120][121] before recording a string of improved performances in its final months as Liverpool were unbeaten in their last nine games.[122][123][124][125] Fabinho was praised for authoritative and calm performances against
Fulham on 3 May 2023 and against
Brentford, when he also created the goal opportunity which led to the sole goal of the match, on 6 May 2023.[126][127][128]
"He is the one shining example of a player who has got everything. He's the right age, he's the right quality, he's always fit and healthy."
On 28 May, Fabinho assisted his teammate
Roberto Firmino's last goal for Liverpool in a high-scoring draw against
Southampton, Liverpool's last game of the season.[130] At the end of the
2022–23 season, Liverpool narrowly missed out on UEFA Champions League qualification.[131] In the preseason of the upcoming
2023–24 season, Fabinho was targeted by
Nuno Espírito Santo of
Al-Ittihad with a reported bid of £40 million.[132][133][134][135] On 15 July, it was reported that he had departed from Liverpool's squad, who were travelling to a training camp in
Germany.[136][137] Amid reports that
Bayern Munich had displayed interest in Fabinho,[138][139] on 23 July 2023 it was reported that his transfer to Al-Ittihad had a chance of collapse owing to the fact that his
French Bulldogs were prohibited from entering
Saudi Arabia.[140][141][142] Such speculation was dismissed as false by Fabinho's team and by various journalistic outlets.[143][144][145] On 28 July 2023, it was a reported by
journalistFabrizio Romano that Fabinho had completed his medical for Al-Ittihad.[146]
Al-Ittihad
On 31 July 2023, Fabinho officially joined Al-Ittihad on a three-year deal lasting until 2026.[147] The deal was reportedly worth £40 million.[148] Announcements were made by all parties involved.[148][149][150] The fee paid by Al-Ittihad for the transfer of Fabinho was the fifth-largest sum ever paid to Liverpool for the departure of a player.[151] Owing to the move, Fabinho joined his former manager
Nuno Espírito Santo in
Saudi Arabia.[152] The transfer of Fabinho was one of a series of high-profile transfers to Al-Ittihad, with other notable players joining the
Jeddah-based club including
Karim Benzema,
N'Golo Kante and
Jota.[153] Commenting on Fabinho's departure from Liverpool,
Jürgen Klopp stated that he would "definitely" miss him.[154][155] In the midst of the
2023–24 season, with the lack of a long-term option to succeed him in defensive midfield, it was suggested by journalist David Brindle that Fabinho's departure from the club could be a "big regret" for it.[156]
On 14 August 2023, Fabinho made his first appearance for his new club in a commanding 3–0 victory against
Al-Raed and was widely praised for his performance.[157][158] Fabinho was later given a large
Rolexwatch by a
Saudijournalist as a gift of thanks for his performance.[159][160]
International career
Included in coach
Dunga's 23-man squad for the
2015 Copa América in Chile, Fabinho made his debut in a warm-up match against
Mexico on 7 June of that year, as a half-time substitute for
Danilo in a 2–0 victory at
Allianz Parque in São Paulo.[161] With
Dani Alves playing the entire tournament at right-back, Fabinho did not play at the Copa América, in which Brazil reached the quarter-finals. Fabinho was selected for Brazil's
Copa América Centenario squad,[162] although he did not play in any of Brazil's three matches at the tournament.[citation needed]
In June 2021, he was included in Brazil's squad for the
2021 Copa América on home soil.[163]
On 7 November 2022, Fabinho was named in the squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup.[164] He served mainly as a back-up to
Casemiro but was praised for the performances he made during the tournament.[165]
Player profile
Style of play
"It is so comforting watching him... when he is in the middle you feel safe."
Fabinho is often regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, with Sky Sports pundit and former
Manchester United player
Gary Neville saying, "Fabinho... is the best."[167] He is a robust, agile player who is valued for his ability to win back the ball in the midfield and recycle possession quickly.[168] Fabinho can also provide long balls to wingers to advance play. His role as defensive midfielder sometimes requires him to drop further back to play as a third centre-back to cover for Liverpool's fullbacks
Andrew Robertson and
Trent Alexander-Arnold.[169]Jürgen Klopp has commented that "Fab[inho] was for so long the insurance we [Liverpool] had more or less in midfield," and that he "always gave us [Liverpool] the freedom to play all the fancy stuff" despite being "involved in that from time to time as well".[154]
"He saves our lives. He gives us opportunities to play the way we play, together with the two centre-halves, so we can really focus on offensive stuff. He's a massive player for us."
Fabinho's vision and reading of the game are considered outstanding and have led to him being nicknamed 'The Lighthouse' by Liverpool assistant coach
Pepijn Lijnders and his teammates.[171] Such attributes have led sports journalist
Jonathan Liew to call him a "midfielder whose superior reading of the game can occasionally offer the illusion of
clairvoyance".[172] Fabinho also has a pass completion rate which exceeds 90%.[173] Moreover, Fabinho has earned himself the nickname "The
Hoover" owing to the fact that he is adept in removing opposing teams' attacking threat on the field.[174] Fabinho has also been called "the spine of the team [Liverpool]" by team-mate
Virgil van Dijk.[20][175] Furthermore, Fabinho has drawn praise for powerful and well-placed long-range goals[E] as well as for being a reliable and precise
penalty-kick taker.[179][180] Fabinho cites
Lionel Messi as the toughest opponent he has ever faced.[181]
Reception
Fabinho has drawn praise for his ability and achievements from eminent footballing figures such as Michael Owen,[166] Gary Neville,[167] and
Ronaldinho, with the latter calling him a "champion with Liverpool and a very important player for them [as well]" and somebody for whom he had the "utmost respect".[182] Former
Arsenal forward
Thierry Henry has also stated that Fabinho's presence "calms everybody down" on the pitch, referring to Fabinho's effect on
his teammates.[183] Former Liverpool player
Jamie Carragher has voiced his belief that as a man who could "win the ball" as well as he could "use it", Fabinho's introduction in the Liverpool side had raised the squad's quality.[24] Paul Salt of BBC Radio Merseyside has voiced his belief that Fabinho has been "a great servant" to Liverpool.[184] He has been named in The Guardian's list of the best 100 male footballers on five occasions: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.[185][186][187][188][189]
Personal life
Fabinho married Rebeca Tavares in 2015, having been together since 2013.[190][191] Rebeca was a professional footballer and initially played at a high level as an
attacker in
Spain, later signing for AS Monaco FF in January 2018 before retiring the same year to support her husband upon his move to
Merseyside.[192] The couple revealed Rebeca was pregnant with their first child in July 2022.[193] Their son was born in January 2023, a son named Israel Tavares.[194][195] Fabinho has referred to his son as his "little
Scouser".[30] Fabinho's father died in 2021.[196]
Fabinho is often called 'Flaco', meaning 'skinny' in
Spanish, by his teammates.[197] 'Fab' is another nickname by which Fabinho is called.[154] The Brazilian took Fabinho as his name because when he was in the
Fluminense Under 20s, the coach,
Marcelo Veiga, referred to him in this way to distinguish him from
Fábio Braga.[30] He later decided to keep "Fabinho" on his shirt instead of his given names because his mother recommended he do so.[198][199] Fabinho is known to spend time with compatriots and teammates
Alisson and Roberto Firmino as well as countrymen
Ederson and
Fred at their houses with their families.[F] Previously, the group also spent time with
Fernandinho and his family before they departed back to Brazil.[204] Fabinho is
Christian[194] and is believed to be highly popular in Liverpool.[206][149][184]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 12 March 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^Jiménez, Rubén (28 April 2015).
"Empate a balón parado en Soria" [Set-piece draw in Soria]. Marca (in Spanish). Madrid.
Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
^El-Shaboury, Yara (16 November 2019).
"Fabinho 2019/20 – scout report". Total Football Analysis. Ronnie Dog Media Comm. V.
Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.