Johnny Cardoso: Bio, Salary, Net worth, Lifestyle, Club and International Career

Born to Brazilian parents, Johnny Cardoso hails from Denville Township in New Jersey, USA. The midfielder was just three months old when his family decided to move back to Brazil. Cardoso's youth career was spent in the youth academies of Criciuma, Aval, and Internacional. After spending nearly six years in the youth academy at Internacional, the American joined the senior team in 2019.

Eligible to represent both countries (Brazil and the USA), he chose the latter. On the domestic front, Cardoso is spending his career in Spain at Real Betis. The American joined the LaLiga club in December 2023 on a five-year contract, and since moving to Seville, he has been quite a prominent figure in Manuel Pellegrini's team. His presence in the team in the holding midfielder role has been pivotal in the team's success.

Courtesy of his exploits on the pitch, some of the top clubs in Europe are looking to acquire his services. The likes of Tottenham are among them, however, it seems that the American international has set his sights on Atletico Madrid, who are quite close to securing a deal with him.

Johnny Cardoso Bio

Johnny Cardoso Family and Early Life

Johnny Cardoso's parents immigrated to the United States to be part of the “American Dream”. The only thing they had was hope for a better life and a better future. His parents had decided to stay in the United States for a while, but unforeseen circumstances changed everything for the Cardoso family.

He was barely three months old when his family decided to go back to their native land as chaos prevailed in the US amidst the 9/11 crisis. Cardoso's father wanted to be close to his kin in dire times like these, which prompted the decision to move back. Thus, despite having an American citizenship, the Betis midfielder grew up in Brazil. His father and mother operated a porcelain business in the suburbs of New York City, which was also affected because of their decision to relocate.

Playing Style and Strengths

Speaking of the 23-year-old's passing style, it has been described as being very "risk-free" in the sense that he focuses on keeping his passes short. He often makes horizontal passes to keep possession. On top of that, he also plays back passes to his teammates when he is pressed to not risk being dispossessed. This might somewhat limit his progressive play, but it doesn't allow the opposition to steal the ball and counterattack.

Johnny has strong coordination and strength that can easily keep the oncoming defenders at bay. After getting clear of the defenders, he always opts to pass it on to a player in space rather than keeping the ball with him. He exercises a different level of caution in his games and is sound in defensive mode.

For instance, when he sees his defenders in serious trouble, he chooses to fall back to help them retrieve the ball. His ability to scan the pitch to make that calculated call makes him one of the select few players who can do so. Coupled with his athleticism, he has made an impressive tally of 2.19 interceptions per 90 minutes, which puts him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues.

Johnny Cardoso's Net Worth

While little is known about Johnny Cardoso's net worth, his market value is estimated to be around €20 million, which is quite on the higher end of the spectrum. His market value was the highest in June last year, going up to €25 million. While the former Internacional is currently dealing with new negotiations with some of the big clubs, it seems it won't be long before his net worth surpasses last year's mark. His technical prowess has already caught the eye of some of the big clubs, and his stock value is pretty much on the rise.

Johnny Cardoso Salary

Johnny Cardoso Partner

Johnny Cardoso prefers keeping his private life under wraps, but his Instagram posts have revealed his love life. His girlfriend is Lela Obino, who has an Instagram following of around 35k and is often seen accompanying the football star on various luxurious trips. Be it the city lights of Paris or the beach holidays in Portugal, Marbella, or Greece, or a ski trip in the French Alps, Cardoso's girlfriend is always there with him.

Lela Obino is super active on social media and shares snippets of herself practising yoga, skateboarding, and even hitting the waves skiing. Johnny Cardoso's girlfriend's exact profession is yet unknown, but she could well be defined as a social media influencer based on her social media following.

Johnny Cardoso Career

Johnny Cardoso's career kicked off in the Brazilian Serie A. He represented Internacional in a match against Atlético Mineiro. The match ended on a good note for him as his career started on a winning high with a 3-1 victory over the opposition. He spent six years playing in Brazil and then made his way to Seville to join the ranks of Real Betis.

On the international front, he chose to represent the country of his birth. His international career started when he was first called up to the U23 squad in 2019. The following year, he was called up to the senior squad to play against Wales and Panama.

Club Career

Johnny Cardoso's senior career started in the Brazilian Serie A in 2019. Since then, he has played 87 matches for the club and contributed 53 goals. In his first season at the club, he just played in one match, but subsequently he became a regular with more and more appearances. As his time on the pitch started growing, so did his contributions, and over time, he became indispensable to the club.

In the 2023-24 season, he made a switch and left South America to try his luck in Europe. He joined Real Betis for a staggering fee of $6.3 million and has been a regular since then. He has made 45 appearances for the club since then and has contributed four goals and three assists.

International Career

His international career started with him joining the United States under-23 training camp in October. The following year, he received his call-up to the senior level. So far, he has played in 12 matches in his international career, spending a total of 459 minutes on the pitch. The American is yet to open his account in his international career.

Johnny Cardoso Awards and Achievements