Ahead of the U20 World Cup, Thaís Lima hails youth-senior link | OneFootball

Called up to represent Brazil at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, goalkeeper Thaís Lima arrives at the tournament also carrying the experience of having already been part of the senior women’s national team. With six call-ups across the two levels, the player highlighted the importance of integration between the teams.

“The work is very similar, and they are always in contact with each other. It is very important to have this communication between the youth teams and the senior team, because Arthur also keeps an eye on the younger players. This integration also brings knowledge to us, because we can see how the players work in the senior national team and become more professional every day.”

The goalkeeper also spoke about what she learned during the periods she spent with the team coached by Arthur Elias and said that she shares that experience with her U-20 teammates.

“Being in contact with the best athletes in the world brings me a new experience and also allows me to help my teammates. Understanding the mindset they have, their maturity and how they work, because they are also preparing for the 2027 World Cup, is very important,” she said.

“All of that is very important for me, but also for helping the team. I was called up for matches against great teams like Canada and England, and being able to pass that on to my teammates here in the U-20 team is very good. I think it also motivates them, because they can get there too,” she added.

Thaís Lima during a Brazil U-20 Women’s National Team training session in PolandCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

U-20 WORLD CUP

This will be Thaís’s first major tournament with the Canarinho. Happy with the opportunity, the goalkeeper spoke about the moment and looked ahead to Brazil’s participation in the World Cup.

“I’m feeling very happy and honored to be here and to be able to represent Brazil at the World Cup. I will do my best to help the team,” she said.

“A World Cup is never easy, just like other competitions and even friendlies. It will be very difficult, but we are prepared and moving in the right direction. So we just have to keep doing what we do best and everything will work out,” she concluded.

Thaís Lima during a Brazil U-20 Women’s National Team training session in PolandCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

The Brazil U-20 Women’s National Team is in the city of Kraków, Poland, where it is holding its first training sessions focused on the World Cup. The country will host the tournament, which will be played between September 5 and 27.

This Sunday (30), the Canarinho heads to Bielsko-Biała, where it will play its first matches of the World Cup. In the group stage, Brazil will face Tanzania, Canada and England on September 5, 8 and 11, respectively. All three matches will be played at Bielsko-Biała Stadium at 10 a.m. (Brasília time).

CHOOSING BETWEEN BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL

The daughter of an Angolan mother with Portuguese nationality and a Brazilian father, Thaís plays for Benfica, one of Portugal’s most traditional and successful clubs. Born in the municipality of Sintra, about 30 kilometers from Lisbon, the goalkeeper shone for Portugal’s youth national teams and drew attention at the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship.

The goalkeeper’s talent caught the eye of Rilany Silva, current coach of Brazil’s U-17 women’s national team, who met Thaís when she was in charge of Benfica’s youth teams. Given the player’s potential, Rilany recommended her to the CBF technical staff for monitoring and evaluation.

After detailed analysis of her performances, Thaís was called up for the first time to the senior Brazil women’s national team in October 2025.

At 17 years, 10 months and 16 days old, Thaís Lima became the youngest goalkeeper ever to debut for the Brazil women’s national teamCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

In an interview with CBF TV in April 2026, the goalkeeper said that the decision to represent Brazil came after moments of reflection and uncertainty about “leaving her comfort zone” and facing the “fear” of embarking on a new journey representing another country.

“I will always carry with me that fear is temporary, that we have to face it. When I was little, I was always very afraid. But we have to face it, because it will help us improve, and I will end up growing because of it too. I was afraid to leave my comfort zone, because I felt very comfortable and was a little afraid because I didn’t know if it would work out,” she said.

It is worth noting that the goalkeeper has already made history with the Canarinho. She became the youngest goalkeeper ever to debut for the senior women’s national team: she started in the 5-2 win over Costa Rica at 17 years, 10 months and 16 days old, in February this year. In doing so, she surpassed former goalkeeper Mayla, who took the field in the 14-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago at 17 years, 10 months and 19 days old, on July 14, 2000.

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