Cesinha (footballer, born 1989)

Cesar Fernando Silva dos Santos (born 29 November 1989), commonly known as Cesinha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Daegu FC as a forward.

Cesinha

Cesinha with Daegu FC in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Cesar Fernando Silva dos Santos
Date of birth	(1989-11-29) 29 November 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Forward, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Daegu FC
Number	11
Youth career
2007–2010	Corinthians
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010	Corinthians	0	(0)
2010	→ Osvaldo Cruz (loan)	8	(6)
2011	União Barbarense	18	(4)
2011	Pão de Açúcar	0	(0)
2012	União Barbarense	22	(9)
2012–2015	Bragantino	55	(6)
2013	→ União Barbarense (loan)	15	(5)
2014–2015	→ Atlético Mineiro (loan)	11	(0)
2015	→ Ponte Preta (loan)	17	(0)
2016–2017	→ Daegu FC (loan)	36	(11)
2017–	Daegu FC	226	(88)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 1 December 2024

Career

Early years in Brazil

Born in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, Cesinha graduated with Corinthians youth system, but made his senior debuts while on loan at Osvaldo Cruz.^[1] After appearing for União Barbarense and Pão de Açúcar, he returned to the former on 7 December 2011.^[2] On 16 May 2012, Cesinha signed for Bragantino.^[3] After appearing sparingly, he returned to Barbarense in January of the following year, in a six-month loan deal.^[4] Cesinha returned to Braga in June 2013,^[5] appearing regularly afterwards. On 3 October of the following year he was loaned to Atlético Mineiro, until May 2015.^[6] Cesinha made his Série A debut on 9 October, replacing Luan in a 0–0 away draw against Fluminense.^[7] On 6 May 2015 he moved to fellow league team Ponte Preta, until December.^[8]

South Korea

In 2016, Cesinha joined South Korean club Daegu FC on loan. Scoring 11 goals, he helped secure the club's promotion that year from K League 2 to the top tier of football in South Korea, K League 1. His loan was made permanent the following year. By June 2020, he had lived in South Korea for five years, one of the criteria to become a citizen of the country. Media reported that Cesinha was keen to become a South Korean citizen and represent the country in international football.^[9]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 December 2024^[10]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			State League		Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Corinthians	2010	Série A	—		—		0	0	—		—		0	0
Osvaldo Cruz (loan)	2010	Paulista A2	—		8	6	—		—		—		8	6
União Barbarense	2011	Paulista A2	—		18	4	—		—		—		18	4
Pão de Açúcar	2011	Paulista A2	—		0	0	—		—		—		0	0
União Barbarense	2012	Paulista A2	—		22	9	—		—		—		22	9
Bragantino	2012	Série B	11	1	—		—		—		—		11	1
	2013	Série B	14	2	—		—		—		—		14	2
	2014	Série B	18	2	12	1	5	2	—		—		35	5
	Total		43	5	12	1	5	2	—		—		60	8
União Barbarense (loan)	2013	Paulista	—		15	5	—		—		—		15	5
Atlético Mineiro (loan)	2014	Série A	6	0	—		0	0	—		—		6	0
	2015	Série A	—		5	0	—		1[a]	0	—		6	0
	Total		6	0	5	0	0	0	1	0	—		12	0
Ponte Preta (loan)	2015	Série A	17	0	—		3	4	2[b]	0	—		22	4
Daegu FC (loan)	2016	K League 2	36	11	—		2	3	—		—		38	14
Daegu FC	2017	K League 1	27	7	—		0	0	—		—		27	7
	2018	K League 1	25	8	—		6	5	—		—		31	13
	2019	K League 1	35	15	—		1	0	5[c]	1	—		41	16
	2020	K League 1	25	18	—		2	1	—		—		27	19
	2021	K League 1	32	9	—		5	2	6[c]	5	—		43	16
	2022	K League 1	29	12	—		3	0	2[c]	1	—		34	13
	2023	K League 1	23	8	—		1	0	—		—		24	8
	2024	K League 1	30	11	—		0	0	—		2	2	32	13
	Total		262	99	—		22	11	13	7	2	2	299	119
Career total			301	104	80	25	29	13	16	7	2	2	438	151

1. Appearance in Copa Libertadores
2. Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
3. Appearances in AFC Champions League

Honours

Atlético Mineiro

• Campeonato Mineiro: 2015
• Copa do Brasil: 2014

Daegu FC

• Korean FA Cup: 2018

Individual

• K League 2 Best XI: 2016
• K League 1 top assist provider: 2018
• Korean FA Cup Most Valuable Player: 2018
• Korean FA Cup top goalscorer: 2018
• K League All-Star: 2019, 2023, 2024
• K League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player: 2019
• K League 1 Best XI: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022