Atletico de Madrid and Real Betis Balompié have reached an agreement for the transfer of the midfielder, who is of Brazilian descent and holds an Italian passport. He will wear the red and white for the next five seasons.
Born on 20 September 2001 in Denville, New Jersey (United States), but of Brazilian descent, he began his career in the youth ranks of Avaí Futebol Clube and Criciúma Esporte Clube before joining Sport Club Internacional, where he made his first-team debut on 15 September 2019 in a 1–3 win over Atlético Mineiro. He went on to play 144 matches for them before moving to Betis in the 2023/24 winter transfer window.
A holding midfielder with excellent ball-winning ability, good distribution and an eye for goal, Johnny Cardoso holds an Italian passport, so he does not occupy a non-EU player slot.
During his season and a half with Betis, he was a key part of Manuel Pellegrini’s system and one of the pillars of the Andalusian side in their recent UEFA Conference League campaign, in which they finished runners-up.
A United States international, he made his senior debut on 12 November 2020 in a 0–0 draw against Wales and has earned 22 caps, winning the CONCACAF Nations League in both 2023 and 2024.