Agencies
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil’s coach Tite named the Selecao’s final 26-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2022 on Monday. The Brazilians are pre-tournament favourites
and will compete in Group G alongside Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon.
Brazil have included 39-year-old defender Daniel Alves but left out Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.
“We have been following his recovery from up close and all the data that we have from Barcelona doctors show that he is fit to play,” Brazil team physician Fabio Mahseredjian told a news conference in Rio de Janeiro.
According to Tite, Alves’ long history with Brazil and leadership qualities in the changing room were valuable but not the main reason he got a spot in the squad.
“He adds technical and tactical aspects that are impressive, to be an organiser, an articulator,” Tite said. “Sure he is not a 60 to 70 metres player anymore, but he has other virtues.
“The criteria awards his technical quality, but mental and physical aspects too.”
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli is included among nine forwards in a list dominated by 12 players from England’s Premier League.
Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho also did not make the list after sustaining a thigh injury in training over the weekend that will sideline him for several weeks.
Brazil will take four centre-backs – Juventus’ Bremer, Paris St Germain’s Marquinhos, Chelsea’s Thiago Silva and Real Madrid’s Eder Militao, while leaving out Roger Ibanez (AS Roma), Lucas Verissimo (Benfica) and Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal).
The Brazilian FA also announced that former PSG manager Ricardo Gomes will join Tite’s staff as an assistant.
The squad and Tite will gather on Nov. 14 at Juventus’ training facilities in Turin, where Brazil will hold a five-day training camp
before flying to Doha on
November 19th.
Brazil being their World Cup campaign in Qatar against Serbia on November 24th and also face Switzerland and Cameroon in Group G.
