Veteran winger Dani Alves will be part of the Brazilian team that will participate in the World Cup in Qatar led by Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar, while coach Tite has decided to exclude Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, according to the final squad announced on Monday. .
The inclusion of 39-year-old Alves in the Seleção squad, which is looking for its first world title since 2002, is the sixth in its history, even if it hasn’t played a game in two months.
From the end of his second Barcelona venture at the end of last season and his move to the Mexican Pumas, Alves looked far from where he was previously and the situation was further complicated by a knee injury.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus defender played two friendlies against South Korea (5-1) and Japan (1-0) last June, but was excluded from the last two preparatory games Brazil have played in France against Ghana (3-0) and Tunisia (5-5).
The biggest of the World Cup
Alves will be the oldest Brazilian player to defend the colors of the national team in the World Cup, erasing the record of Djalma Santos, who competed in the 1966 final at the age of thirty-seven.
And Alves will not be the only element of experience on which Tite is counting, but there is also the English defender of Chelsea Thiago Silva (38), who, unlike the former Barcelona star, is still one of the elements very influential main players of the London team.
Alves and Silva will again meet a former colleague at Saint-Germain, Marquinhos, who is 28 years old.
But the most important element that will represent the club from the French capital in the Brazilian squad of the Qatar World Cup will certainly be Neymar (30 years old), who should be one of the most prominent stars of the finals in his third participation, especially in light of the level. which presents this season.
Neymar wants to embellish the image in which he appeared in his two previous appearances, when in 2014 he injured his back at home and missed the humiliated team in the semi-final against Germany (1-7), and then four years later in Russia when he participated in the return from injury and offered little more than a recurring showdown in a campaign that ended in the quarter-finals at the hands of Belgium (1-2).
Firmino’s absence from the squad is the most obvious surprise, after Tite preferred the use of Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, absent from the last meeting of the national team, and his colleague in the London club Gabriel Martinelli, and of the Manchester United and Tottenham are played by Anthony and Richarlison respectively.
Campo in Turin
The Brazilian team is considered one of the most prominent candidates to contend for the title of the Qatar World Cup, which will begin on November 20, after the wonderful journey made in the South American qualifiers, which ended in the lead with 45 points out of 14 wins and three draws. without any defeat.
Led by Neymar and Spanish stars of Real Madrid Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in a team of 16 players who have never attended the international football wedding and three Juventus defenders, Bremer, Danilo and Alex Sandro, Brazil begins its campaign in the World Cup in Qatar on the 24th of this month against Serbia in Group G competitions which includes Switzerland and Cameroon.
The Brazilian team will start preparing for the final phase with a meeting in Turin next Monday, which will last five days at the Juventus facilities, before traveling to Qatar.
Team of 26 players
Doorman:
Alisson Becker (Liverpool, England), Ederson (Manchester City, England), Weverton (Palmeiras).
Defence:
Dani Alves (Pumas, Mexico), Danilo, Alex Sandro and Bremer (Juventus, Italy), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Thiago Silva (Chelsea, England), Eder Militao (Real Madrid, Spain), Alex Telles ( Seville, Spain).
the goal:
Casemiro and Fred (Manchester United), Fabinho (Liverpool), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle, England), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham), Everton Ribeiro (Flamingo).
attack:
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain, France), Rafinha (Barcelona, Spain), Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Richarlison (Tottenham, England), Anthony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal, England ), Pedro (Flameno).
