Fabinho (footballer, born 1993) facts for kids

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Fabinho

Fabinho playing for Liverpool in 2018

Personal information

Full name

Fábio Henrique Tavares

Date of birth

23 October 1993 (age 31)

Place of birth

Campinas, Brazil

Height

1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Position(s)

Defensive midfielder, centre-back, right-back

Team information

Current team

Al-Ittihad

Number

Youth career

0000–2012

Fluminense

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

2012

Fluminense

(0)

2012–2015

Rio Ave

(0)

2012–2013

→ Real Madrid Castilla (loan)

(2)

2013

→ Real Madrid (loan)

(0)

2013–2015

→ Monaco (loan)

(1)

2015–2018

Monaco

105

(22)

2018–2023

Liverpool

151

(8)

2023–

Al-Ittihad

(3)

International career^‡

2015–2016

Brazil U23

(0)

2015–

Brazil

(0)

Medal record


Men's football
Representing Brazil
Copa América
Runner-up	2021 Brazil

*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:03, 22 January 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 December 2022

Fábio Henrique Tavares (born 23 October 1993), known as Fabinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad. He also plays for the Brazil national team. Fabinho is a very flexible player. He can also play as a right-back or centre-back.

Fabinho started his career at Fluminense in Brazil. He then moved to Rio Ave in Portugal in 2012. He spent his time in Portugal on loan to other clubs. First, he played for Real Madrid Castilla and even made one appearance for the main Real Madrid team. He then spent five years at Monaco. There, he played 233 games and scored 31 goals. He helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title in the 2016–17 season.

After Monaco, Fabinho joined Liverpool in England for about £39 million. In his first season at Liverpool, he won the UEFA Champions League. He also helped Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Fabinho played a big part in Liverpool winning the 2019–20 Premier League title. He also won the FA Cup and EFL Cup with Liverpool in the 2021–22 season. The next season, he won the FA Community Shield. Many people say Fabinho was key to Liverpool's success during those years. In 2023, Fabinho moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.

Fabinho first played for Brazil in 2015. He was part of their teams for the Copa América in 2015, 2016, and 2021. Brazil finished second in the 2021 tournament. Fabinho was also chosen for Brazil's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Brazil was knocked out in the quarter-finals of that tournament.

Fabinho's Early Life
Fabinho's Club Career
Fabinho's International Career
Fabinho's Playing Style
Fabinho's Personal Life
Honours
Images for kids
See also

Fabinho's Early Life

Fabinho was born in Campinas, Brazil. His parents are Joao Roberto Tavares and Rosangela Tavares.

Fabinho's Club Career

Starting His Career

Fabinho began his football journey at Fluminense in Brazil. In June 2012, he joined Rio Ave in Portugal. He signed a six-year contract with them.

After just one month at Rio Ave, Fabinho went on loan to Real Madrid Castilla in Spain. This was in July 2012. He played his first professional game on 17 August. He played 90 minutes in a 2–1 loss to Villarreal. On 28 April 2013, he scored his first goal. It was a header that helped his team draw 3–3 against CD Numancia. Fabinho also made his debut for the main Real Madrid team on 8 May 2013. He played for 14 minutes and helped set up a goal in a big 6–2 win.

Time at Monaco

Fabinho playing for Monaco in 2014.

On 19 July 2013, Fabinho joined Monaco in France on loan from Rio Ave. He chose Monaco because he felt he would get to play regularly there. He wore the number 2 shirt. His first game for Monaco was on 10 August. Monaco won 2–0 against Bordeaux. He scored his first goal for Monaco on 26 March 2014. It was in a 6–0 win against Lens in a cup match.

He rejoined Monaco on loan for another year in July 2014. On 9 December 2014, he scored a goal in a UEFA Champions League game. This goal helped Monaco win 2–0 against Zenit St Petersburg. This win meant Monaco qualified for the next stage of the Champions League.

Winning Ligue 1

On 19 May 2015, Fabinho officially joined Monaco permanently. He signed a contract to stay until 2019. On 20 March 2016, he scored a penalty against Paris Saint-Germain. This helped Monaco win 2–0. It was PSG's first home loss in a long time.

On 21 February 2017, Fabinho made two assists in a Champions League game. Monaco lost 5–3 to Manchester City. But on 15 March, Fabinho scored a goal against Manchester City. This helped Monaco win 3–1 in the second game. Monaco won the match on the away goals rule and moved to the quarter-finals. After Monaco won the Ligue 1 title in 2016–2017, many big clubs wanted to sign Fabinho. As a celebration, Fabinho and other players dyed their hair in the club's red and white colors.

Moving to Liverpool

Winning the Champions League

On 28 May 2018, Premier League club Liverpool announced that Fabinho would join them. He signed a long-term contract. The transfer fee was reported to be £39 million. This news came just after Liverpool lost the 2018 UEFA Champions League final. Fabinho became the 9th most expensive Brazilian footballer. He chose the number 3 shirt. Fabinho said he was "really excited" to join "a giant of a team." He felt Liverpool was "at the start of something really special."

His first game for Liverpool was on 18 September. He came on as a substitute in a Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool won 3–2. He played his first league game on 20 October. A week later, he started his first league game against Cardiff City. On 16 December, Fabinho made his first assist for Liverpool. He set up a goal for Sadio Mané in a 3–1 win against Manchester United. On 26 December, Fabinho scored his first goal for Liverpool. It was a header in a 4–0 win against Newcastle United.

In January 2019, Fabinho played as a centre-back in some games. He was praised for his strong performances in this new position. On 7 May 2019, Fabinho played an amazing game against Barcelona. Liverpool came back from being 3–0 down to win 4–0. This sent them to the Champions League final. Fabinho made many tackles and won the ball back often. He called this game the "biggest match" of his life. On 1 June, Fabinho started in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool won the game, and Fabinho earned his first trophy with the club.

Super Cup and Premier League Wins

Fabinho playing for Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.

Fabinho played in the 2019 FA Community Shield, where Liverpool finished as runners-up. On 14 August 2019, Fabinho played the whole game in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea. He scored Liverpool's second penalty in the shootout. Liverpool won 5–4 on penalties after the game ended 2–2. On 27 October, fans praised his performance in a 2–1 win against Tottenham. Fabinho scored his first goal of the season on 10 November against Manchester City. It was a long-range shot in a 3–1 win.

On 27 November 2019, Fabinho got an ankle injury in a Champions League game against Napoli. He had to leave the game after 18 minutes. The injury kept him out until early 2020. On 21 December 2019, Fabinho won the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup. Liverpool beat Flamengo in the final. On 24 June 2020, Fabinho scored another long-range goal. It was from over thirty yards in a win against Crystal Palace. He also made a great pass for Mohamed Salah to score. On 25 June 2020, Liverpool won the 2019–20 Premier League title. Fabinho played a very important role in this victory.

100th Appearance and New Contract

Fabinho played in the 2020 FA Community Shield, where he scored in the penalty shootout. During the 2020–21 season, Fabinho often had to play as a centre-back. This was because many of Liverpool's main defenders were injured. On 20 September 2020, Fabinho was highly praised for his performance against Chelsea. He made the most passes and won the ball back more than anyone else. In a Champions League game on 21 October 2020, Fabinho made an amazing overhead kick clearance off the goal-line. This helped Liverpool keep a clean sheet in their 1–0 win against Ajax.

In December 2020, he played his 100th game for Liverpool. On 3 August 2021, Fabinho signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool until 2026. He received a pay raise because of his great performances.

More Trophies with Liverpool

On 12 September 2021, Fabinho scored his first goal of the season. It was against Leeds United in a 3–0 win. On 9 January 2022, Fabinho scored his first goals in the FA Cup. He scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Shrewsbury Town. On 13 February 2022, Fabinho scored again against Burnley. This goal won the game for Liverpool. It was his fifth goal in seven games.

Liverpool won the FA Cup on 15 May 2022. They beat Chelsea in the final after a penalty shootout. Fabinho was not in the team for the final due to an injury. Fabinho also won the EFL Cup in the 2021–22 season. He scored a Panenka-style penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the final.

On 3 May 2022, Fabinho scored a goal against Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals. This helped Liverpool reach the final. Liverpool lost the final to Real Madrid. Fabinho was chosen for the Champions League Team of the Season. He was also praised for Liverpool's second-place finish in the Premier League. The 2021–22 season was Fabinho's best for scoring goals at Liverpool. He was ranked 14th for the 2022 Ballon d'Or award.

Final Season at Liverpool

Fabinho playing for Liverpool in a pre-season game before the 2022–23 season.

On 30 July 2022, Fabinho started for Liverpool in their 3–1 win against Manchester City. This was in the FA Community Shield. Fabinho's performances improved towards the end of the 2022–23 season. Liverpool was unbeaten in their last nine games. On 28 May, Fabinho assisted Roberto Firmino's last goal for Liverpool. This was in a high-scoring draw against Southampton. At the end of the season, Liverpool just missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

In the summer of 2023, Fabinho was wanted by Al-Ittihad. There were some rumors about his transfer, but they were later proven false.

Joining Al-Ittihad

On 31 July 2023, Fabinho officially joined Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He signed a three-year deal until 2026. The deal was worth about £40 million. Fabinho joined his former manager Nuno Espírito Santo at the club. Many other famous players also joined Al-Ittihad around the same time, like Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. Liverpool's manager, Jürgen Klopp, said he would "definitely" miss Fabinho.

On 14 August 2023, Fabinho played his first game for Al-Ittihad. They won 3–0 against Al-Raed. He was praised for his performance. A Saudi journalist even gave him a Rolex watch as a thank you gift.

Fabinho's International Career

Fabinho was chosen for Brazil's team for the 2015 Copa América in Chile. He made his debut in a warm-up game against Mexico on 7 June 2015. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 win. He did not play in the Copa América tournament itself.

In June 2021, he was part of Brazil's team for the 2021 Copa América. Brazil finished second in this tournament. On 7 November 2022, Fabinho was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He mostly played as a back-up to Casemiro. He was praised for his performances during the tournament.

Fabinho's Playing Style

Fabinho is often seen as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. He is strong and quick. He is good at winning the ball back in the middle of the field. He can also quickly pass the ball to start attacks. Sometimes, he drops back to play as a third centre-back. This helps cover for Liverpool's attacking fullbacks. His manager, Jürgen Klopp, said Fabinho was like "insurance" in midfield. He gave the team "freedom to play all the fancy stuff."

Fabinho is known for his great vision and understanding of the game. His teammates even nicknamed him 'The Lighthouse'. A sports journalist called him a "midfielder whose superior reading of the game can occasionally offer the illusion of clairvoyance". Fabinho also completes over 90% of his passes. He has also been called "The Hoover" because he is so good at stopping opposing team's attacks. His teammate Virgil van Dijk called him "the spine of the team." Fabinho is also known for scoring powerful long-range goals. He is also a very reliable and accurate penalty-kick taker. Fabinho says Lionel Messi is the toughest opponent he has ever faced.

Fabinho's Personal Life

Fabinho married Rebeca Tavares in 2015. They had been together since 2013. Rebeca was also a professional footballer. She played as an attacker in Spain. She later played for AS Monaco FF before retiring in 2018. She retired to support Fabinho when he moved to Liverpool. The couple announced in July 2022 that they were expecting their first child. Their son, Israel Tavares, was born in January 2023. Fabinho calls his son his "little Scouser." Fabinho's father passed away in 2021.

Fabinho's teammates often call him 'Flaco', which means 'skinny' in Spanish. He is also sometimes called 'Fab'. He chose to use "Fabinho" on his shirt because his mother suggested it. Fabinho is known to spend time with his Brazilian teammates and friends. He is a Christian and is very popular in Liverpool.

Honours

Monaco

Ligue 1: 2016–17

Liverpool

Brazil

Copa América runner-up: 2021

Individual

UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2021–22

Images for kids

Fabinho playing for Liverpool in 2018
Fabinho playing for Monaco in 2014.
Fabinho playing for Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup.
Fabinho playing for Liverpool in a pre-season game before the 2022–23 season.