Dorival Junior and Endrick, 61 and 17 respectively, are tasked with rediscovering the Selecao's soul after a difficult period of post-World Cup limbo
Dorival Junior and Endrick, 61 and 17 respectively, are tasked with rediscovering the Selecao's soul after a difficult period of post-World Cup limboended 2023 with more defeats than wins.
Enter Dorival Junior, he of the oversized glasses and 26 clubs in the past 22 years. Dorival has a reputation in Brazil as a firefighter, often parachuted in to salvage relegation battles, a chaotic existence which means he has only once spent longer than a season at any team. It’s not even that these new faces are particularly young – Pepe and Galeno are 27 and 26 respectively, while Flamengo defenders Ayrton Lucas and Fabricio Bruno are 26 and 28. None of the three goalkeepers included have ever played outside Brazil or been capped before. This is not Joga Bonito as you remember it.
Of course, there are still familiar names in this Selecao selection. Their midfield will likely be made up of Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes and Douglas Luiz when they face England at Wembley on Saturday evening. Richarlison may well lead the line – in fact he’s the second-most experienced international in this squad, with 48 caps. Real Madrid pairAnd then, of course, there’s Endrick.