Last Updated on October 21, 2026 by Valentim Tereshkova
Cairo Santos is a Brazilian-American professional football player who serves as the placekicker for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). Born on November 12, 1991, in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, Santos became the first Brazilian-born player to appear in an NFL regular-season game. Beyond his successful football career, many fans are interested in Cairo Santos’s family, including his wife, children, parents and siblings.
The Chicago Bears kicker is married to Inara Santos, and the couple has two children: Daniel and Alice Santos. His parents are Cairo Santos Sr. and Magalie Santos, while his older sister is Talita Santos. Family has played a central role throughout his life, particularly after his father died in a tragic plane crash in 2013. Today, Santos continues to honor his Brazilian heritage while raising his own family in the United States.
Cairo Santos’s Wife: Meet Inara Santos
Cairo Santos’s wife is Inara Santos, also known as Inara Moraes. The couple has maintained a long-term relationship and is raising two children together.
Inara has been identified as his wife in multiple reports published by the Chicago Bears, including features about players’ families and the team’s annual wives’ luncheon.
Although the couple has occasionally shared photographs of their relationship on social media, they have maintained privacy regarding several personal details.
According to a September 2025 report published by EssentiallySports, Cairo and Inara were already romantically involved by February 2018.
On February 15, 2018, Santos shared photographs and videos of the couple through his Instagram account to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
The images included moments from their time at the beach and activities involving football and golf.
However, the exact circumstances of their first meeting and their wedding date have not been consistently established through reliable public reporting.
Inara has generally maintained a relatively private lifestyle. Although some online profiles have discussed her possible career in journalism, detailed information about her education and professional background remains limited.
Inara Santos’s Involvement With the Chicago Bears
Inara has participated in activities organized for the wives and families of Chicago Bears players.
In October 2025, she attended the team’s annual wives’ luncheon at Halas Hall.
The event celebrated the history of the Chicago Bears and honored the contributions of women supporting players, coaches and team executives.
During the gathering, participants received commemorative patches inspired by a tradition associated with the Halas-McCaskey family.
The Chicago Bears’ official website identified Inara Santos among the wives who attended the event.
Beyond organized team activities, Inara regularly accompanies her husband on family vacations and recreational outings.
During the summer of 2025, she accompanied Cairo on a memorable road trip to Philadelphia to watch Flamengo face Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The couple traveled with Brazilian friends after Santos’s original flight was canceled because of weather concerns.
They completed a lengthy drive to attend the match before returning home to Florida.
As of now, Cairo and Inara Santos remain publicly recognized as a married couple with two children.
Cairo Santos’s Children: Meet Daniel and Alice Santos
Cairo Santos has two children with his wife, Inara Santos: a son named Daniel Santos and a daughter named Alice Santos.
Their names and family relationships were confirmed by the Chicago Bears in an official feature published during the summer of 2025.
Santos frequently discusses how much he enjoys spending time with his children, particularly during the NFL offseason.
Daniel Santos – Cairo Santos’s Son
Daniel Santos is the eldest child of Cairo Santos and Inara Santos. He was born on November 3, 2020, according to a birth announcement shared by his father on Instagram.
Following Daniel’s arrival, Santos introduced his son to fans through a photograph showing the newborn wearing Chicago Bears-themed clothing.
Becoming a father represented an important milestone in the Brazilian kicker’s personal life.
As Daniel grew older, he began accompanying his parents and younger sister on family outings.
During the summer of 2025, Santos spent considerable time teaching his son new recreational activities.
According to an official Chicago Bears article, Daniel developed an interest in fishing and enjoyed learning how to cast a fishing rod.
He also learned how to handle the fish he caught while spending time outdoors with his father.
Santos described these experiences as meaningful family memories because they allowed him to share hobbies he personally enjoys.
During the same summer, Daniel also improved his swimming skills after the family settled into a newly built home in Florida.
Although his father has shared occasional updates about his childhood, Daniel’s private life remains largely outside the public spotlight.
Alice Santos – Cairo Santos’s Daughter
Alice Santos is Cairo Santos’s daughter and the younger of his two children.
Her identity was confirmed in a Chicago Bears feature that described the family’s summer activities in 2025.
At the time, Alice was approximately three years old, while her older brother Daniel was around four and a half.
The article explained that Santos enjoyed spending time with both children while teaching them how to swim.
Watching Alice and Daniel gain confidence in the water became one of his favorite memories from the offseason.
In addition to swimming, the family enjoyed spending time together at their home in Florida.
Although Alice has occasionally appeared in family-related social media content, her parents have not extensively publicized details about her daily life.
As of now, Daniel and Alice remain Cairo Santos’s two publicly confirmed children.
Cairo Santos’s Parents: Meet Cairo Santos Sr. and Magalie Santos
Cairo Santos’s parents are Cairo Santos Sr. and Magalie Santos. His mother’s first name is also written as Magali in several Brazilian publications.
Both parents played important roles in his upbringing, education and development as an athlete.
Santos was born in Limeira, in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, before moving with his family to Brasília during childhood.
His father worked as a commercial airline pilot, allowing the family to travel internationally and introducing Cairo to life outside Brazil at an early age.
When Santos eventually moved to the United States as an exchange student, his parents supported his decision despite the challenges of living thousands of miles apart.
Cairo Santos’s Father: Cairo Santos Sr.
Cairo Santos Sr. was the father of Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos. He worked as a commercial pilot, including for the Brazilian airline Varig, and was one of his son’s biggest supporters.
According to the Chicago Bears’ official website, Cairo received his first name from his father, who had himself been named after the Egyptian capital.
The family naming tradition originated with Cairo’s paternal grandfather, who had a fascination with Egyptian culture.
Santos Sr. encouraged his son’s sporting ambitions from an early age.
Although young Cairo initially dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, his father supported his decision to pursue American football after discovering his talent for kicking field goals.
He also supported Cairo’s move to Florida as a teenager to improve his English and gain international educational experience.
The father and son maintained a close relationship despite living in different countries.
During his college football career at Tulane University, Santos frequently communicated with his father and shared updates about his progress.
How Did Cairo Santos’s Father Die?
Cairo Santos Sr. died on September 15, 2013, in a plane crash in Brazil. The accident occurred while he was flying a small aircraft.
At the time of the tragedy, Cairo was playing college football for Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
According to reporting by the Associated Press and Brazilian news outlet UOL, the loss was particularly difficult because Santos maintained regular communication with his father.
After learning about the accident, he traveled to Brazil to attend the funeral before returning to the United States to continue his college football season.
The emotional impact affected his performances and concentration during the following games.
Nevertheless, Santos remained determined to pursue the professional football career that his father had encouraged.
Following his father’s death, the kicker began dedicating successful kicks to his memory.
He developed a recognizable celebration in which he points toward the sky after scoring, symbolizing his connection with his late father and his Christian faith.
His father’s memory remains an important part of his personal motivation and professional identity.
Cairo Santos’s Mother: Magalie Santos
Magalie Santos is Cairo Santos’s mother and one of the most influential people in his life.
She raised Cairo and his older sister, Talita, in Brazil alongside her husband.
According to reporting published by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Associated Press, Magalie supported her son’s move to the United States while finding the separation emotionally difficult.
Cairo initially traveled to Florida as a 15-year-old exchange student, intending to improve his English and experience another culture.
His mother frequently communicated with him through video calls, especially during the first months after his departure.
Although she missed having her son nearby, Magalie supported his decision to extend his stay after he began receiving opportunities to play American football.
She also provided emotional support following the death of his father in September 2013.
In interviews with Brazilian journalists, Magalie discussed how deeply the tragedy affected Cairo during his final college football season.
She remained an important supporter as he prepared for the NFL and eventually earned a place with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014.
According to later reporting about the family, Magalie subsequently spent more time in the United States, maintaining a close relationship with Cairo and his children.
As of now, Magalie remains an important member of the Santos family, although she generally maintains a private lifestyle.
Cairo Santos’s Siblings: Meet His Older Sister Talita Santos
Cairo Santos has one publicly confirmed sibling, an older sister named Talita Santos. She is approximately one year older than the Chicago Bears kicker.
Talita has spoken publicly about their childhood and the challenges of being separated when Cairo moved to the United States.
Talita Santos – Cairo Santos’s Older Sister
Talita Santos grew up alongside her younger brother in Brazil, where the two developed a close relationship despite their occasional childhood disagreements.
In a September 2014 feature published by the Kansas City Chiefs, Talita recalled that Cairo frequently kicked soccer balls around their family home.
His powerful kicks sometimes sent balls into neighboring properties, leaving Talita responsible for helping retrieve them.
She explained that their mother occasionally joked that Cairo was already preparing to become a professional kicker because of his constant interest in kicking soccer balls.
Although the siblings sometimes argued during childhood, their relationship became especially meaningful after Cairo moved abroad.
Talita admitted that she missed her brother more than she had expected when he left Brazil at age 15.
The siblings maintained their relationship through frequent video calls and family communication.
Following their father’s death in 2013, Talita also provided emotional support as Cairo continued his college football career.
She later celebrated his achievement of becoming the first Brazilian-born player to appear in the NFL.
In September 2014, the Associated Press reported that Talita and her mother were planning to attend one of Cairo’s early NFL games with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Although Talita has occasionally appeared in interviews about her brother, information about her current occupation and personal relationships remains limited.
As of now, Talita Santos is Cairo Santos’s only publicly identified sibling.
Cairo Santos’s American Host Family: The Burnetts
In addition to his biological family in Brazil, Cairo Santos has maintained a close relationship with the American family who welcomed him during his teenage years.
When Santos moved to St. Augustine, Florida, as an exchange student, he stayed with David and Kathy Burnett and their son, Tyler Burnett.
The Burnetts provided him with accommodation, guidance and emotional support as he adjusted to American culture.
Tyler played an important role in introducing Cairo to American football.
According to an official Kansas City Chiefs feature, Tyler encouraged Santos to try kicking an American football after noticing his skills as a soccer player.
The experience helped Santos discover that his background in soccer could translate into success as a placekicker.
David and Kathy continued supporting his development by helping him attend specialized football camps and explore college opportunities.
Following the death of Cairo’s biological father, the Burnetts provided additional emotional support.
Santos has described them as a second family and David Burnett as an important father figure in his life.
The relationship illustrates the importance of both his Brazilian relatives and the American family who helped him establish his professional career.
How Cairo Santos’s Family Influenced His NFL Career
Cairo Santos’s journey from Brazil to the NFL is closely connected to the support provided by his parents, sister and American host family.
Born in Limeira and raised in Brasília, Santos initially dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.
He grew up supporting Brazilian club Flamengo and developed impressive kicking abilities from an early age.
At 15, he traveled to the United States as an exchange student and attended St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine, Florida.
With encouragement from the Burnett family, Santos began playing American football and quickly attracted attention for his kicking accuracy.
He later received a scholarship to Tulane University, where he became one of the country’s leading college kickers.
In 2012, Santos won the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation’s outstanding college placekicker.
His successful college career helped him attract attention from NFL teams.
Despite going undrafted in 2014, Santos signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and earned the starting kicker position.
His debut made him the first Brazilian-born player to compete in an NFL regular-season game.
After spending several seasons with Kansas City, Santos played for other NFL organizations, including the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans.
He returned to Chicago in 2020 and established himself as one of the Bears’ most dependable special teams players.
Throughout his professional journey, Santos has continued emphasizing the importance of family, Brazilian culture and the lessons learned from his father.
In a May 2024 interview with Brazilian outlet R7, Santos explained that he and his wife wanted their children to maintain connections with Brazil.
He described how the family incorporated Brazilian traditions into their lives in the United States, including preparing traditional foods and spending time with Brazilian friends.
Although his professional career is centered in America, his family continues to celebrate its Brazilian heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cairo Santos’s Family
Who is Cairo Santos’s wife?
Cairo Santos is married to Inara Santos, also known as Inara Moraes. Their marriage has been confirmed by the Chicago Bears’ official website.
Does Cairo Santos have a girlfriend?
Cairo Santos is married to Inara Santos, so she is his wife rather than his girlfriend.
How many children does Cairo Santos have?
Cairo Santos has two publicly confirmed children with his wife, Inara: a son named Daniel and a daughter named Alice.
Who is Cairo Santos’s son?
Cairo Santos’s son is Daniel Santos, who was born on November 3, 2020.
Who is Cairo Santos’s daughter?
Cairo Santos’s daughter is Alice Santos. She is the younger of his two children.
Who are Cairo Santos’s parents?
Cairo Santos’s parents are Cairo Santos Sr. and Magalie Santos. His father was a commercial airline pilot who died in a plane crash in 2013.
What happened to Cairo Santos’s father?
Cairo Santos Sr. died in a plane crash in Brazil on September 15, 2013, while his son was attending Tulane University.
Who is Cairo Santos’s mother?
Cairo Santos’s mother is Magalie Santos, also called Magali in Brazilian reporting. She supported his move to the United States and professional football ambitions.
Does Cairo Santos have siblings?
Yes. Cairo Santos has an older sister named Talita Santos, who is approximately one year older than him.
Who is Cairo Santos’s sister?
His sister is Talita Santos, who grew up alongside him in Brazil and has spoken publicly about their childhood relationship.
Who was Cairo Santos’s American host family?
Cairo Santos lived with David and Kathy Burnett and their son, Tyler, while attending high school in St. Augustine, Florida.
Where is Cairo Santos from?
Cairo Santos was born in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, and grew up in Brasília before moving to the United States as a teenager.
How old is Cairo Santos?
Cairo Santos was born on November 12, 1991. He is 34 years old as of now.
Valentim Tereshkova is a sports journalist and NFL analyst specializing in team dynamics, scheme breakdowns, and league-wide trends. Covering everything from offseason roster construction and Draft developments to Sunday game plans and Super Bowl contenders, he delivers clear, sharp commentary on the gridiron. Valentim combines stat-driven analysis with a passion for football storytelling to give readers an expert look into the AFC and NFC.
