The Brazilian coach, Dorival Júnior, shared the list of players selected for the upcoming South American play-off matches against Ecuador at home (matchday 7) and Paraguay away (matchday 8) on Friday. One notable absence is Barcelona’s Raphinha, who is suspended for one match due to accumulating two yellow cards in previous games. Another missing player is Barça’s Vitor Roque, who is close to signing with Betis and will join the U-20 team.
The exciting news is the inclusion of 17-year-old Estevao (Palmeiras), also known as ‘Messinho’, who was heavily linked with Barcelona but will be playing for Chelsea next season. Real Madrid’s Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Endrick are part of the squad.
Al-Hilal striker Neymar from Saudi Arabia was not included as he is still recovering from a knee injury. Dorival mentioned that Neymar will return to the team soon.
Changes in the midfield and attack have been made compared to the last Copa América, with players from Brazilian clubs like André (Fluminense), Gerson, Pedro (Flamengo), and Luiz Henrique (Botafogo) being included in the squad.
In a press conference, Dorival emphasized that the national team is at a crucial point in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and they are determined to bounce back after a tough start.
Brazil will play against Ecuador on September 6 at the Couto Pereira stadium in Curitiba, followed by a match against Paraguay at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción four days later.
The Brazilian team is currently in sixth place with two wins, one draw, and three losses, trailing behind Argentina who leads with 15 points. They also faced disappointment after being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa América in the United States.
Brazil’s 23-player roster:
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), and Ederson (Manchester City).
Defenders: Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Borussia Dortmund), Guilherme Arana (Atlético Mineiro), Wendell (Porto), Beraldo (Paris Saint-Germain), Éder Militão (Real Madrid), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), and Marquinhos (PSG).
Midfielders: André (Fluminense), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Gerson (Flamengo), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), and Lucas Paqueta (West Ham)
Hey everyone! Let’s talk about some exciting forwards in the world of soccer. We have Rodrygo from Real Madrid, Endrick from Real Madrid, Estevão from Palmeiras, Luiz Henrique from Botafogo, Pedro from Flamengo, Savinho from Manchester City, and Vinícius from Real Madrid. These players are definitely ones to watch out for on the field!
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
