Arthur Dias relishes Seleção debut, recalls tears at call-up | OneFootball

Center-back Arthur Dias celebrated his debut for the Brazilian National Team. In the 4-2 win on their opening outing, he came on in the final minutes of the match. Speaking to CBF TV, he expressed his emotion over the personal achievement.

“It was a feeling of great joy to make my debut wearing the Brazilian National Team shirt. It was a childhood dream, and not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be able to debut. I was very happy and very grateful,” he said after the Seleção’s final training session before the friendly against India.

At 19, the defender is one of Athletico-PR’s main breakout talents. In the Brasileirão, he played in 26 matches and became one of the key players behind Furacão’s excellent campaign, with the club sitting third in Serie A. Days after the announcement of his call-up, he scored his first professional goal in a derby against Coritiba.

When he saw his name on the list of the 26 players selected for the FIFA international window, he could not hold back the tears and became emotional.

“I’m not usually one to cry, but in that moment your whole life flashes before your eyes, being able to represent our country. The moment I saw my name there, I was very happy, very joyful, very pleased, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was with my family, and I was really happy,” he said.

Arthur Dias during a Brazilian National Team training session in Kolkata, on the eve of the friendly against IndiaCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Integration: from the youth ranks to the senior team

Arthur has represented Brazil’s national teams for four years. In 2023, he was called up for the third phase of preparation for the U-17 World Cup. In 2024, he took part in the Cascais Luso Cup in Portugal with the U-17 side and began his path with the U-20s, having been called up for friendlies against Mexico at São Januário and training camps at Granja Comary.

In 2025, he was one of Brazil’s starters in their triumph at the South American U-20 Championship in Venezuela. In June this year, he also played in friendlies against Chile in Santiago.

Given the path he built through the Seleção’s youth ranks, he highlighted the importance of having gone through those experiences before reaching the senior national team.

“It’s very important to go through the youth national teams. I played for the U-17s and the U-20s, and it’s a learning experience that stays with you. I think it helps a lot when you get to the senior national team. I was able to go through a few age groups, and I did very well,” he said.

Arthur Dias with the 2025 South American U-20 Championship trophyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Friendly against India

When the Brazilian team arrived in Kolkata, India, for their first-ever friendly against the hosts, the delegation was welcomed by the affection of the Indian fans, for which the center-back expressed his gratitude.

“For me it’s very different. I wasn’t used to this kind of thing. When we arrived at the hotel, I was very happy when I saw the reception from all the fans. It was a feeling of great joy and great gratitude,” he said.

Brazil and India face each other at 11 a.m. Brasília time (7:30 p.m. local time) this Saturday (3) at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium (known as Salt Lake) in Kolkata. The Seleção trained at the match venue, where they were able to inspect the pitch and the stadium.

“I really liked the pitch and the stadium; it’s a big stadium. We’re prepared to put in an excellent performance, and we know it will be a difficult match. We’re well prepared, and our team is very strong as well,” Arthur concluded.

Arthur Dias during a training session with the national team in BrisbaneCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

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