Fernando Diniz, now the champion of the Copa Libertadores, didn’t even have time to celebrate the incredible title victory.
On the 6th of November 2023, he announced another call-up for the Brazilian National Team, which will compete in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The matches will be against Colombia on the 16th in Barranquilla and Argentina on the 21st at Maracanã.
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Index
The New Additions in Fernando Diniz’s Call-Up
Critiqued for his previous call-up, Fernando Diniz decided to heed the appeals, including those from us, and decided to give opportunities to players who had been asking for their chance.
This time, players with a rich history in the Brazilian National Team are out, such as Richarlison, Matheus Cunha, Lucas Paquetá, Casemiro, Danilo, and Alex Telles, as well as Neymar, who is currently sidelined indefinitely.
Image: Reuters/Andres Cuenca
The absence of these players opened up space for athletes who play in Brazilian football or have been having a consistent season with their clubs.
Let’s take a look at the names:
- GOALKEEPERS: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Lucas Perri (Botafogo)
- FULL-BACKS: Emerson Royal (Tottenham), Carlos Augusto (Inter de Milão), Renan Lodi (Olympique de Marselha)
- CENTRE-BACKS: Bremer (Juventus), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Nino (Fluminense), Marquinhos (PSG)
- MIDFIELDERS: André (Fluminense), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Joelinton (Newcastle), Raphael Veiga (Palmeiras), Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
- FORWARDS: Endrick (Palmeiras), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), João Pedro (Brighton), Paulinho (Atlético-MG), Pepê (Porto), Raphinha (Barcelona) e Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Diniz’s Hits and Misses
Successful Call-Ups
Carlos Augusto – The Inter Milan left-back is one of those players who deserved a chance. He may not be eligible for the World Cup, but in the 2022/23 season, while playing for Monza, he was the best left-back in Serie A.
If he was included in the previous call-up as a replacement for other players, he is now genuinely the first choice for the left-back position.
Playing for Monza, a mid-table team, he scored 6 goals and provided 5 assists. His numbers and excellent on-field performance caught the attention of Inter Milan, who loaned him with a pre-established buy clause.
He competes for the position with Di Marco, one of the best in the world in that role, but has been a starter in Champions League matches.
Image: GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Douglas Luiz – A well-deserved call-up that took a while to happen. Douglas Luiz’s performance for Aston Villa this season has been nothing short of spectacular.
He is absolutely essential to the team’s strong showing, currently in 5th place in the Premier League.
Even when playing as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder, Douglas Luiz has already scored 5 goals and provided an assist in just 11 Premier League matches.
Furthermore, he adds rhythm to Villa’s game, pressures the ball, and recovers it on numerous occasions.
João Pedro – A young player with immense potential. He already showed his high-level capabilities during his time at Watford.
In the national championship this season, he scored 2 goals and provided an assist, even coming on as a substitute.
In the Europa League, where he has been a starter, he has 4 goals in 3 matches.
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Image: BHAFC/Paul Hazlewood
Paulinho – Currently the top scorer in the Brazilian Serie A. Alongside Hulk, he is the key player driving Atlético-MG towards direct qualification for the Libertadores.
In the Brazilian league alone, he has scored 16 goals, but this season, he has already accumulated 27 goals and 7 assists.
Despite his European experience, Paulinho is a young player, only 23 years old.
Pepê – Voted the best player in Porto’s squad last season, he is another player who deserved a chance.
The only caveat is that he could have been called up as a right-back, a position in dire need for the Brazilian National Team. He played in that position for most of last season.
His versatility is also a strong point.
Erroneous Call-Ups
Emerson Royal – This is one of the call-ups that is hard to understand. In the current season, he started in just 9% of Tottenham’s matches.
He wasn’t even used in three matches. When he did play, it was for a very short time, being on the field for one or two minutes.
After several seasons in the Premier League, there has unfortunately been no significant improvement, making him not fit the current standards of the Brazilian National Team.
Marcos Leonardo – The non-call-up of Marcos Leonardo is astonishing and by far the worst choice made by Diniz.
Playing in Santos’ limited squad, in a battle against relegation, he is the second top scorer in the Brasileirão with 13 goals.
More than that, he contributed the most points for a team in the Brazilian Serie A. Twelve of the 13 goals he scored resulted in points for Santos. This shows his capacity to make a difference.
Additionally, he possesses explosive speed, physical strength, and mobility.
However, it has been reported that coach Ramon Menezes has called him up for the Brazilian National Team Pre-Olympics (under 23).
Endrick* – The call-up of the Palmeiras prodigy, who is destined for Real Madrid, isn’t necessarily a mistake.
Indeed, he has displayed sensational performances in the last three matches, truly justifying Real Madrid’s investment of over 70 million euros.
However, he has not been a consistent player since the beginning of the season. He has had ups and downs, spending a significant portion of the Brasileirão on the bench.
His call-up will happen naturally in the future, but in terms of merit, other players should be ahead in the pecking order.
Image: NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP
Overall Assessment
In the end, Diniz’s call-up was surprising.
While initially he called up established players in the international scene, he has now started the expected renewal process.
In addition to the excellent names mentioned above, he also called up players like Raphael Veiga, Joelinton, Gabriel Magalhães, Nino, and André, who have been called up before.
However, it is of utmost importance that all these players get a minimum amount of playing time to showcase their best football.
What often happens is that players are called up but don’t even get to play. They endure the travel, high-level training with the risk of injury and might miss club matches even during the FIFA international break.
Therefore, the appeal is for Diniz to truly engage in a renewal process and test these excellent players on the field.
Written by Vitor F L Miller.
