Dorival Junior announced Brazil’s squad for the 2024 Copa America with several surprises among the 23 selected players. The most notable one is Evanilson, the only member of the squad who has yet to make his international debut.
In an interview with Globo Esporte, the Porto forward expressed his happiness with the news: “It’s an indescribable joy. When I was a child, still in that phase of wanting to be a player, I also had this dream of being called up to represent my country. Now I look back and see that everything worked out well. It’s a unique feeling.”
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The 24-year-old has been in Portugal since 2020 and has already played 150 games for Porto. This season saw the Fluminense product reach his peak form, with an impressive 24 goals and five assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
During the announcement conference, Dorival explained that Evanilson had been on his radar for a while now: “He has played little in the country, but he is a player who is in great form. He has a very clear understanding of the role he plays. He can complement in the creation of play and also infiltrates very well when attacking from the sides, he is a very interesting player. I am sure that if he repeats here what he has been doing at his club, it will be a pleasant surprise.”
Evanilson’s call-up also has to do with Richarlison’s injury at Tottenham: “He was already a name being discussed in the initial call-up and now, due to an injury this morning with Richarlison, he becomes a player we can count on.”
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
