Corinthians boss backs Hugo Souza call-up, defends centre-back | OneFootball

Throughout the afternoon this Sunday (17), Corinthians faced Botafogo at Nilton Santos Stadium in a match valid for the 16th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship and was beaten 3-1. Midfielder Rodrigo Garro, in the 10th minute of the first half, scored for Alvinegro. The defeat sent the Corinthians side back into the relegation zone, sitting in 17th place with 18 points — four wins, six draws, and six losses — with 14 goals scored and 18 conceded.

A few minutes after the end of the match, head coach Fernando Diniz held a press conference and was asked about the possible call-up of goalkeeper Hugo Souza to the Brazilian National Team for the 2026 World Cup. The manager stressed his support, and that of the entire club, for the number 1’s presence in the competition. Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti will announce the squad list for the world’s biggest international tournament this Monday (18), at 5 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Museum of Tomorrow, in Rio de Janeiro.

Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

“I spoke briefly with Hugo, and I think his call-up would be very well deserved. We hope for it, everyone is happy about this possibility. The whole club is positively expecting him to fulfill this dream, and everyone will be very happy when this call-up is confirmed. I think here in Brazil, especially last year, he was perhaps the standout player. He was very important in the titles Corinthians won,” he began.

At Corinthians since July 2024, after standing out while playing for Chaves, in Portugal, on loan from Flamengo, Hugo Souza did not take long to become one of the main players at the club from Parque São Jorge. In total, he has made 119 appearances in a Corinthians shirt, playing a decisive role in the club’s Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026) triumphs, against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively. The number 1 is also the third goalkeeper with the most penalty saves in the institution’s history (14).

Next, the Corinthians coach was asked about the performance of 34-year-old center-back André Ramalho. The number 5 stood out for a display below expectations and also made a mistake on the Rio side’s third goal, late in the second half. After a high clearance, the defender got tangled up and ended up losing the ball on Botafogo’s final goal of the match.

“André (Ramalho) is a very experienced player. We did not lose the game because of André, the score was 2-1 at that point. He is a player I admire a lot, one I have followed for a long time, who has a very solid career in Europe, and who was important here in the club’s title wins. And mistakes happen. We are never going to put a defeat on one person’s shoulders. Collectively, we were not able to play our best game, and we were not able to win. That is what I have to say about it today. As for André, I repeat, he is a player who has our support. If every time someone here makes a mistake we crucify them, then in no time we won’t have a team,” he said.

On the bench, as a possible substitute, was 17-year-old Iago Machado, considered one of the academy’s biggest prospects. Last year, he was the second-highest scorer for the Under-17 team with nine goals. He is currently a starter for the Under-20 side and has been included in the senior squad since March. Asked about the youngster, Diniz praised him: “Iago is integrated into the squad. He is a player I am personally getting to know now, but from what I have seen at the start, he has a very promising future.”

After being beaten by Botafogo away from home in the 2026 Brazilian Championship, Corinthians now turns its attention back to its priorities in the Conmebol Libertadores group stage. That is because next Thursday (21), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Alvinegro will visit Peñarol-URU in a match for the fifth round of the international competition’s qualifying stage.

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