Ibañez celebrates return to the Brazil squad after three years | OneFootball

Defender Ibañez celebrated his return to the Brazilian National Team after about three years. His last call-up was in September 2023, for the matches against Bolivia and Peru, for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. In an interview with CBF TV this Monday (23), he confessed that he feared “distancing” himself from the national team when he transferred to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli.

“We always dream and work to be here, representing the Brazilian National Team. And that was what I thought about the most when I went to Arabia, I thought I would distance myself a bit, but I believe that by working hard, with maximum effort on the field, the return comes and, thank God, I am back with the National Team. I am very happy about that,” he celebrated.

Before moving to Arab football, he represented the Italian team Roma, with which he won the Conference League in the 2021/22 season. Since August 2023 at Al-Ahli, he stands out in a championship featuring renowned strikers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, João Félix, Diaby, Benzema, and Malcom. In his team, he plays alongside Brazilian Galeno and played until mid-2025 with Roberto Firmino.

“Football in Arabia has strengthened, the level of the championship there has grown a lot. Every club has very good strikers, and the level remains very high. So we have to work as hard as possible to always be ready. The level is no different from other competitions, it remains very high, and I think that helps a lot too,” he said.

Ibañez during training with the Brazilian National Team at the gym in OrlandoCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

During this FIFA Date, the defender from Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, commented on the expectation of learning from coach Carlo Ancelotti, aiming for the friendlies with France on Thursday (26) and Croatia on the 31st. These will be Brazil's last matches before the final call-up for the World Cup.

“It's an incredible experience. He is a world-renowned coach, a global force, a champion of many things. It is a wonderful experience to be able to work with him, (I will) work as hard as possible and give my best to help and complete the group in the best possible way,” he stated.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.