Caio Canedo: UAE Football Career, Current Club and Key Facts

Introduction

Caio Canedo is a professional football forward who plays for Al Wahda FC in the United Arab Emirates. He was born in Brazil but later became a UAE citizen and represented the UAE national football team.

As of August 2026, he remains listed as an Al Wahda player. He joined the Abu Dhabi club in July 2025 after completing his second spell with Al Wasl. Al Wahda signed him to add experience and goal-scoring strength to its attack.

Canedo has spent more than a decade in UAE football. One of his biggest achievements came in April 2025, when he became only the seventh player to score 100 goals in the UAE professional league.

Caio Canedo Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Full name	Caio Canedo Corrêa
Common name	Caio Canedo
Date of birth	9 August 1990
Age	35 years old as of August 2026
Birthplace	Volta Redonda, Brazil
Citizenship	United Arab Emirates and Brazil
Profession	Professional footballer
Position	Forward
Current club	Al Wahda FC
Shirt number	7
Height	177 centimetres
National team	United Arab Emirates
Former UAE clubs	Al Wasl and Al Ain

His physical details and playing position are recorded on his official UAE Pro League profile.

Who Is Caio Canedo?

Caio Canedo is an experienced attacking footballer who can play as a centre-forward, winger or supporting attacker.

He first became known while playing in Brazil. However, the most important part of his professional career has taken place in the UAE.

He has played for three major Emirati clubs:

• Al Wasl
• Al Ain
• Al Wahda

He is known for his movement inside the penalty area, ability to play in different attacking positions and habit of scoring important goals.

Early Life and Football Beginning

Caio Canedo was born on 9 August 1990 in Volta Redonda, a city in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.

He spent part of his childhood in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the United States. He played football while attending school there and developed his skills from a young age.

At 16, he returned to Brazil to pursue a professional football career. He joined the youth system of Volta Redonda and later gained opportunities with Botafogo.

This unusual background connects his story with three countries: Brazil, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Career in Brazilian Football

Canedo began his senior career with Volta Redonda before moving to Botafogo.

Botafogo

His performances at Botafogo helped him gain wider attention in Brazilian football. He became known for entering matches as a substitute and scoring useful goals.

He was part of the Botafogo squad that won the Campeonato Carioca in 2010.

Figueirense

In 2012, he joined Figueirense on loan. The move gave him more first-team experience in Brazilian national competitions.

Internacional

Canedo later moved to Internacional. He was part of the club during its Campeonato Gaúcho-winning campaigns in 2013 and 2014.

Vitória

He also spent time on loan with Vitória before moving to the UAE in 2014.

Move to Al Wasl

Caio Canedo joined Al Wasl on loan in 2014. The move became an important turning point in his career.

He quickly adapted to UAE football and scored 16 league goals during his first campaign. Al Wasl later made his transfer permanent.

Canedo became a major attacking player for the Dubai club. His goals, work rate and ability to play across the forward line helped him build a strong connection with Al Wasl supporters.

He remained at the club until 2019 before joining Al Ain.

Success with Al Ain

Canedo signed for Al Ain in 2019.

During his time at the club, he helped Al Ain win the 2021–22 UAE Pro League title. He contributed to the title-winning campaign and helped create the opening goal in the 5–0 victory over Al Jazira that confirmed the championship.

He also helped Al Ain win the UAE League Cup in the same season. In the final, he scored a late header before Al Ain won the trophy through a penalty shootout.

These victories gave Canedo a domestic league-and-cup double with Al Ain.

Return to Al Wasl

Canedo returned to Al Wasl in 2023.

His second spell produced another successful chapter. Al Wasl won the 2023–24 UAE Pro League title, finishing the campaign as the leading team in the country.

Canedo scored important goals during the title run. He scored the late winner against Shabab Al Ahli in December 2023 and later scored twice in a 4–2 victory over Al Ain.

Al Wasl also won the UAE President’s Cup during the 2023–24 season, completing a domestic double.

In April 2025, Canedo reached 100 goals in the UAE professional league. The achievement placed him among a small group of players who have reached that scoring mark.

Caio Canedo at Al Wahda

Al Wahda officially announced the signing of Caio Canedo on 22 July 2025.

The club described him as an experienced UAE international who was joining to strengthen the first team’s attacking options.

He soon made an impact in domestic and Asian competitions.

In September 2025, he scored against Saudi club Al Ittihad as Al Wahda came from behind to win 2–1 in the AFC Champions League Elite.

He later scored an 89th-minute winning header against Nasaf in another 2–1 victory.

Canedo also scored against Al Sadd as Al Wahda secured a place in the tournament’s round of 16.

In April 2026, he opened the scoring in Al Wahda’s 2–0 league victory over Sharjah.

These performances showed that he could still contribute important goals during the later stage of his career.

UAE National Team Career

Caio Canedo received UAE citizenship in 2020 after spending several years playing in the country.

He was later selected to represent the United Arab Emirates national team. He made his international debut in 2020 and became part of the country’s FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns.

Canedo represented the UAE at major competitions, including the FIFA Arab Cup and the AFC Asian Cup.

One of his best-known international goals came against Australia in June 2022. He scored the UAE’s equaliser during a World Cup playoff, although Australia later won the match 2–1.

He continued receiving UAE national-team opportunities during the qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, readers should not assume that he is in every current squad because national-team selections can change.

UAE football followers may also enjoy reading about Majed Hassan’s UAE football career and Walid Abbas and his UAE football legacy.

What Position Does Caio Canedo Play?

Caio Canedo mainly plays as a forward.

He can operate as:

• A centre-forward
• A winger
• A second striker
• An attacking midfielder

His flexibility allows coaches to use him in different attacking systems. He can move into central scoring positions or begin an attack from a wider area.

Major Career Achievements

Canedo has won important trophies in both Brazil and the UAE.

Botafogo

• Campeonato Carioca: 2010

Internacional

• Campeonato Gaúcho: 2013
• Campeonato Gaúcho: 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

His league victories with Al Ain and Al Wasl show that he contributed to championship-winning teams at two different UAE clubs.

How Many UAE League Goals Has Caio Canedo Scored?

Caio Canedo scored his 100th goal in the UAE professional league in April 2025.

He reached the milestone while playing for Al Wasl against Al Bataeh. At that time, he became only the seventh player in the league’s professional-era history to score 100 goals.

The milestone is one of the strongest signs of his long-term impact on UAE football.

Is Caio Canedo Still Playing?

Yes. As of August 2026, Caio Canedo remains listed as a professional footballer with Al Wahda FC.

The official league profile identifies him as a forward, while Al Wahda’s announcement confirms that he joined the club in July 2025.

No confirmed retirement announcement has been made.

Is Caio Canedo Brazilian or Emirati?

Caio Canedo was born in Brazil and began his professional career in Brazilian football.

He later received UAE citizenship and became eligible to represent the United Arab Emirates national team. Therefore, he is commonly described as a Brazilian-born Emirati footballer.

Does Caio Canedo Play for Brazil?

No. He has not represented Brazil’s senior national team.

He represents the United Arab Emirates at international level after becoming a UAE citizen in 2020.

Why Is Caio Canedo Famous?

Caio Canedo is famous for his long and productive career in UAE football.

He is especially known for:

• Scoring more than 100 UAE league goals
• Winning league titles with Al Ain and Al Wasl
• Representing the UAE national team
• Playing for major UAE clubs
• Scoring important AFC Champions League goals
• Building a professional career across Brazil and the UAE

Conclusion

Caio Canedo is one of the most experienced Brazilian-born players in UAE football.

After beginning his career in Brazil, he moved to Al Wasl and developed into an important goal scorer. He later won major trophies with Al Ain, returned to help Al Wasl win a domestic double and joined Al Wahda in 2025.

His 100-goal UAE league milestone, championship victories and international appearances for the UAE make him a notable figure in Emirati football.

As of August 2026, he continues his professional career as an Al Wahda forward.