Cristian Sleiker Cásseres Yépes Jr. was born on 20 January 2000 in Caracas, Venezuela. The son of former Venezuelan international Cristian Cásseres, he came through Deportivo La Guaira and debuted in the Venezuelan Primera División at just sixteen. His family background gave him early football knowledge, but his own rise was built on mobility, ball-winning and the courage to play senior football before he was physically complete.
New York Red Bulls signed him in 2018, and Major League Soccer became the league where he grew from prospect to established midfielder. In the Red Bulls' pressing system he learned to cover huge spaces, counter-press immediately after turnovers and arrive in the box at speed. By the time he left MLS, he was one of the most reliable young Venezuelan midfielders abroad and had developed a clear identity as a high-energy number eight.
In 2023 Toulouse brought him to Ligue 1, and he has remained a regular part of the French club's midfield through the 2025-26 season. France has demanded more precision in possession and more compact spacing than MLS, but Cásseres has adapted well, offering ball recoveries, vertical carries and a willingness to play forward quickly. Toulouse has given him a valuable bridge between athletic midfield work and European tactical discipline.
For Venezuela he debuted in 2020 and has been involved through World Cup qualifying and Copa América campaigns. He played in Copa América 2021 and was part of the improved national-team group that reached the Copa América 2024 quarter-finals. In the 2026 cycle, his role has been to give La Vinotinto legs, pressure and midfield balance alongside more positional players.
Standing around 1.77 m, Cásseres is a right-footed central midfielder who can play as an eight or deeper ball-winner. He presses with intensity, carries through traffic and covers transitions quickly, making him particularly useful when Venezuela need to compete in midfield rather than simply defend deep. Stylistically he resembles a more vertical Weston McKennie or a modernized version of his father's competitive midfield profile.