So, when it was reported that he turned down an approach to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, you couldn't help but be impressed by the decision, even if it was surprising.
Casemiro did what few would do near the end of their career - he refused eye-watering money and a chance to play outside of the scrutiny of Europe, and especially at Manchester United, out of ambition to continue to challenge himself in the most demanding league in the world.
The Brazilian international hasn't won five Champions League titles by being an average player, however, and even at 33, Casemiro still has dreams for the final chapter of his career.
It is that elite mentality that stands Casemiro apart from most.
Because, even though he faced heavy criticism for his often sub-par performances last season, it wasn't a case of unprofessionalism; he just lost a yard of pace in the area of the pitch where (especially in the Premier League) it is essential to be extremely mobile.
With that context, taking an offer from Saudi Arabia to link up with former teammate Ronaldo and earn a ridiculous amount of money would have been completely understandable. It would have meant no longer having to listen to the likes of Jamie Carragher belittling a player who has won almost all there is to win.
Nobody would have blamed him for taking the easy option. But if it wasn't already obvious that Casemiro is wired differently when he joined a struggling Manchester United after a golden age of success at Real Madrid, then it should be now.
The Brazilian lives and breathes football and is constantly looking to climb the next mountain in his already storied career.
Casemiro sets inspiring example
Casemiro may have been a problem last season, but he was far from Manchester United's worst performer, and on the ball, he still oozes class more often than not.
In a lot of ways, though, the level that Casemiro is playing at is irrelevant to this story.
In an era of football where there are prima donnas like Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho seemingly spawning around every corner, Casemiro's decision to reject Al Nassr, get into top condition and fight for his place at Manchester United is what this story is really about.
The 33-year-old is an example to all young footballers in academies on refusing the easy option and maximising a short career at the top.
The easy option is rarely the best one, and as difficult as it might be, taking the hard route, often in the face of great scrutiny, is the mentality required to reach the top and cement yourself as a great.
Casemiro is also an example of how players with elite mentalities think; the idea that there is always a new target to aim for, and taking the easy route isn't an option.
Sancho and Garnacho failed to learn from Casemiro
As a new generation begins to take centre stage, too many young footballers in the modern game, with bags of talent, believe their own hype too early.
There are countless examples of such players at Manchester United in the post-Alex Ferguson depression, and two of the more recent are Sancho and Garnacho. Neither player has achieved anything close to what Casemiro has. Yet instead of fighting for their Manchester United futures, both instead took the easy option and left.
Before Garnacho's move to Chelsea, the Argentine wore a Marcus Rashford Aston Villa jersey on holiday, liked several Fabrizio Romano tweets about Chelsea's interest in him and even liked tweets from supporters criticising his former head coach, Ruben Amorim.
Sancho has also behaved in a similar disrespectful manner in the past, as two hugely popular players have transpired to burn all bridges with a fanbase that supported them through the good and bad times.
It is a simple case of hubris played out for all to see, and a perfect example of how not to conduct yourself as a young player with so much still to learn.
In a different life, Garnacho could have become the latest superstar to don the iconic Manchester United number seven, something he seemed destined to do at one point. For someone who idolises Ronaldo, you would have thought Garnacho would have done everything within his power to learn from another winner in Casemiro on his path to making a real name for himself.
Instead of going down the difficult path that Casemiro has taken in every turn in his career, Garnacho chose the easy option in a 'Sliding Doors' moment for the latest impatient young player to fail at Old Trafford.
When signing for Chelsea, Garnacho said, "I have a winning mentality and a big personality."
Yet at the first sign of adversity in his career, Garnacho decided to run instead of fight. Does that sound like a winning mentality?
2026 World Cup key to Casemiro staying in Europe
According to multiple reports, a key factor behind Casemiro's decision to stay at Old Trafford was his ambition to force his way back into the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup - one last shot at glory on the world stage.
Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as Brazil manager in May would have given the former Real Madrid midfielder confidence of returning to the national team, considering his history with Ancelotti at Los Blancos.
His inspiring decision to stay and fight for his place in a struggling United side looks to be paying off, too. Casemiro was called up in Ancelotti's first squad in May for the first time since October 2023, and he started against Chile in a routine World Cup qualifying win on Thursday.
Despite there being justified question marks over whether he should still be starting in a Ruben Amorim system, Casemiro has been favoured by the Portuguese coach in midfield over Manuel Ugarte and Kobiee Mainoo from the start of the 2025/26 season.
What is even more impressive is that he has made a strong start to the campaign, looking as lean and mean as ever.
The reality is that, with Ancelotti as Brazil's coach for at least the 2026 World Cup, Casemiro knows that if he can continue playing regular football at Old Trafford in the starting lineup or from the bench, he will be heading to North America next year, where he has one final chance to complete his impressive collection of trophies.
If that isn't inspiring to you, then maybe you should follow Garnacho's social media for a very different type of example being set.