Coach Dorival Júnior will make his debut in charge of the National Team this Saturday (26) against England at the traditional Wembley Stadium. However, he will not be the only newcomer. In the squad called up for this month’s two friendlies, the coach has summoned eight debutants to assist him at the beginning of this new phase.
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Léo Jardim – Vasco
The 28-year-old goalkeeper is one of the highlights of the Rio de Janeiro team this season. Born in Ribeirão Preto and developed in the youth ranks of Olé Brasil-SP and Grêmio, he began his professional career in Porto Alegre and then moved to Portugal, where he had a successful spell with Rio Ave (POR). He later moved to Lille (FRA), returned to Portugal to play for Boavista (POR), before returning to Lille. Since 2023, the goalkeeper has been playing for Vasco. Léo Jardim has previous experience with the Brazilian U-20 National Team.
Rafael – São Paulo
Rafael played a crucial role in winning the Copa do Brasil. He is the first São Paulo goalkeeper to represent the National Team since Rogério Ceni, who participated in the 2002 World Cup triumph. At 34 years old, the player joined the São Paulo club after stints at Atlético-MG and Cruzeiro, where he was part of several title-winning campaigns for both Minas Gerais clubs.
Fabrício Bruno – Flamengo
A product of Cruzeiro’s youth system, Fabrício Bruno is a starter for Flamengo. He was signed in 2022 and has already played over a hundred matches wearing the red and black jersey. The 28-year-old defender previously played for Chapecoense for two seasons. Last year, Luis Suárez declared that Flamengo’s defender was the best he faced in the country. In their three encounters, the Uruguayan did not score any goals.
Beraldo – PSG
Beraldo transferred to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the year after an excellent season with São Paulo. The 20-year-old defender arrived at Morumbi in 2019 at just 15 years old. He was promoted to São Paulo’s first team in 2021 under coach Hernán Crespo. Prior to that, the defender played for União Barbarense and XV de Piracicaba. He is the son of André Beraldo, who played professionally between 1991 and 2004 for São Paulo clubs.
Murilo – Palmeiras
A product of Cruzeiro’s youth system, Murilo was a frequent presence in the Brazilian National Team youth call-ups and made his professional debut for the Celeste team in 2017. He was part of the squad that won the Minas Gerais state championship in 2018 and 2019, as well as the Copa do Brasil in 2017 and 2018. In the middle of the 2019 season, valued for his aerial game efficiency and solidity on the left side of defense, Murilo transferred to Lokomotiv in Russia.
In his first year with Palmeiras, Murilo became the defender with the most goals for the club in a single season alongside Gustavo Gómez (both scored 11 times in 2022).
Pablo Maia – São Paulo
The 22-year-old from Minas Gerais has been with São Paulo since his youth days. He joined the first team in 2021. The following year, the midfielder was named as the most promising player in the world in his position by a study from CIES Football Observatory. Last year, Pablo Maia was one of the standout players in São Paulo’s campaign.
Savinho – Girona
The forward is the youngest debutant called up by Dorival Júnior. He will turn 20 in April. The player from São Mateus, Espírito Santo, plays for Girona, one of the biggest surprises in Spanish football. In February, he was signed by Manchester City in England. Savinho was developed by Atlético-MG and moved up to the first team under Sampaoli’s command in 2020. He represented Brazil at youth levels and played for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands last year.
Galeno – Porto
The player from Maranhão, Barra do Corda, was developed by Grêmio Anapólis in 2016 but made his career in Portugal. Before joining Porto, he played for Portimonense, Rio Ave, and Braga.
In the last two seasons, Galeno has been synonymous with goals. In 2022/23, he scored 15 goals and provided six assists. In the current season so far, he has scored 13 goals and provided 11 assists.
