1. Early Life
Caio Canedo was born on August 9, 1990, in the municipality of Volta Redonda in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the age of nine, he relocated to Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the United States, where he played football for Nantucket High School. He later returned to Brazil at the age of 16 to join the youth ranks of Volta Redonda. During his youth career, he also had loan spells with São Paulo in 2008 and Botafogo in 2009.
2. Club Career
Caio Canedo Corrêa's professional club career began in Brazil, where he played for several prominent clubs before moving to the United Arab Emirates, enjoying multiple successful spells with Al Wasl and Al Ain.
2.1. Volta Redonda
Caio made his professional debut for Volta Redonda against Mesquita on 15 February 2009. He scored his first goal for the club on 5 April 2009, finding the net in the 35th minute against Duque de Caxias.
2.2. Botafogo
He debuted for Botafogo on 16 January 2010 against Macaé. His first goal for the club came on 30 January 2010, scoring in the 87th minute against America RJ. Caio became a fan favourite among Botafogo supporters during his tenure.
2.3. Figueirense
While on loan at Figueirense, Caio scored on his debut against Náutico on 20 May 2012, with a goal in the 90+4th minute.
2.4. Internacional
In January 2013, Caio joined Internacional. He made his debut for the club on 3 March 2013 against Esportivo. His first goal for Internacional was also against Esportivo, scored in the 45th minute on 31 March 2013.
2.5. Vitória
Caio made his debut for Vitória on 27 April 2014, playing against Athletico Paranaense.
2.6. Al Wasl (First and Second Spells)
In 2014, Caio moved to the United Arab Emirates, joining Al Wasl on a loan spell. He made his debut for the club on 26 September 2014 against Shabab Al Ahli. His first goal for Al Wasl came on 5 October 2014, scoring in the 8th minute against Kalba. Following his successful loan period, he made a permanent transfer to Al Wasl in 2015, continuing his significant contributions to the team.
2.7. Al Ain
Caio transferred to Al Ain and scored on his debut for the club on 19 October 2019, converting a penalty in the 42nd minute against Hatta.
2.8. Al Wasl (Third Spell)
After his time at Al Ain, Caio returned to Al Wasl for a third spell. He made his debut during this period on 19 August 2023 against Emirates. He scored his first goal in his third spell with Al Wasl on 27 August 2023, finding the net in the 90+1st minute against Sharjah.
3. International Career
Caio Canedo Corrêa's international career is notable for its shifts in nationality and associated controversies.
Prior to committing to an international team, Caio was scouted by United States U20 coach Thomas Rongen. However, he was deemed ineligible to play for the U.S. due to his lack of a green card.
3.1. East Timor Nationality Controversy
In 2015, Caio received an East Timorese passport. This acquisition sparked controversy as there was no known basis for his eligibility, such as a family connection or residency in East Timor. In 2016, an inquiry initiated by the Prime Minister of East Timor investigated the matter. The inquiry revealed that Caio was among seven Brazilian male footballers who allegedly received falsified baptism documents from East Timor's Catholic Church to create the appearance of eligibility for East Timorese nationality. This incident highlighted issues concerning sports ethics and dual citizenship in international football.
3.2. United Arab Emirates
In January 2020, Caio acquired Emirati citizenship, which qualified him to represent the United Arab Emirates national team in international competitions, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. He made his debut for the United Arab Emirates in a friendly match against Tajikistan on 12 November 2020, a game which the UAE won 3-2. Caio's inclusion in the national squad was particularly significant as he often provided backup for key players such as Omar Abdulrahman and Ismail Matar during their absences, reinforcing the team's attacking options. On 4 January 2024, he was named in the UAE's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
4. Career Statistics
Comprehensive statistical data for Caio Canedo Corrêa's club and international career are presented below, detailing his appearances and goals.
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | State league | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Volta Redonda | 2009 | - | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 8 | 1 | ||||
| Botafogo (loan) | 2009 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||
| Botafogo | 2010 | 35 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 56 | 8 | |||
| 2011 | 20 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 0 | - | 2 | 1 | 43 | 6 | |||
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 55 | 2 | 46 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 117 | 16 | ||
| Figueirense (loan) | 2012 | Série A | 26 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 28 | 9 | |
| Internacional | 2013 | 20 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 37 | 3 | |||
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2015 | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 3 | ||
| Vitória (loan) | 2014 | Série A | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |
| Al-Wasl (loan) | 2014-15 | UPL | 22 | 16 | - | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | - | 29 | 19 | ||
| Al-Wasl | 2015-16 | 23 | 9 | - | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | - | 29 | 14 | |||
| 2016-17 | 24 | 14 | - | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | - | 32 | 16 | ||||
| 2017-18 | 19 | 14 | - | 4 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 35 | 27 | |||
| 2018-19 | 25 | 13 | - | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 42 | 21 | |||
| Total | 91 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 138 | 78 | ||
| Al Ain | 2019-20 | UPL | 14 | 6 | - | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 29 | 13 | |
| 2020-21 | 20 | 7 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 | |||
| 2021-22 | 15 | 4 | - | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 6 | |||
| 2022-23 | 21 | 4 | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | |||
| Total | 70 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 99 | 32 | ||
| Al-Wasl | 2023-24 | UPL | 25 | 7 | - | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | 33 | 9 | ||
| 2024-25 | 10 | 5 | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 6 | |||
| Total | 35 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 49 | 15 | ||
| Career total | 266 | 112 | 71 | 15 | 44 | 22 | 50 | 20 | 25 | 5 | 508 | 174 | ||
4.2. International
Scores and results list the United Arab Emirates' goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 November 2020 | Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | منتخب البحرين لكرة القدمBahrain national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 1-3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 24 May 2021 | Rashid Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | منتخب الأردن لكرة القدمJordan national football teamArabic | 5-0 | 5-1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 7 June 2021 | Zabeel Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | منتخب تايلاند لكرة القدمThailand national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 3-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 12 October 2021 | منتخب العراق لكرة القدمIraq national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 2-2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 5 | 30 November 2021 | Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar | منتخب سوريا لكرة القدمSyria national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 2-1 | 2021 FIFA Arab Cup |
| 6 | 27 January 2022 | Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | 1-0 | 2-0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 7 | 7 June 2022 | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Al-Rayyan, Qatar | منتخب أستراليا لكرة القدمAustralia national football teamArabic | 1-1 | 1-2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 12 September 2023 | Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia | Selección de fútbol de Costa RicaCosta Rica national football teamSpanish | 2-0 | 4-1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 17 October 2023 | Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | منتخب لبنان لكرة القدمLebanon national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 24 December 2024 | Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | منتخب الكويت لكرة القدمKuwait national football teamArabic | 1-0 | 1-2 | 26th Arabian Gulf Cup |
5. Honours
Caio Canedo Corrêa has achieved several notable team and individual honours throughout his club career.
Botafogo
- Campeonato Carioca: 2010
Internacional
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 2013, 2014
Al Ain
- UAE Pro League: 2021-22
- UAE League Cup: 2021-22
Al Wasl
- UAE Pro League: 2023-24
- UAE President's Cup: 2023-24