Defender honoured by Corinthians after iconic 'poropopó' in Libertadores | OneFootball

On the night of last Thursday, August 20, Corinthians advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores by defeating Rosario Central of Argentina 1-0, with a goal from midfielder Breno Bidon. After the final whistle, center-back Gabriel Paulista went to the North Stand to do the traditional ‘poropopó,’ a trademark chant of the Timão supporters.

Right after the episode, videos and photos of the scene went viral on social media, generating major buzz. Because of this, Corinthians’ cultural department paid tribute to the player by presenting the defender with a framed picture featuring photos of the exact moment when the No. 3 was embracing the fans in the stands.

Photo: Reproduction/Corinthians TV

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Gabriel Paulista recalled the moment with the fans after qualifying in the Libertadores and spoke again about his late brother’s passion for Corinthians. In interviews, the center-back always highlights his brother’s influence on his own love for the club.

“There, the players started saying they were going to do the ‘poropopó,’ and I didn’t think twice about joining the Corinthians fans. I’m a supporter out there on the field, and I wanted to be just one more fan in the stands,” he began.

He added: “No doubt, my brother up there is very happy with everything I’m experiencing here wearing the Corinthians shirt. Whether you like it or not, it also took me a little back in time, to when I used to watch Corinthians matches in the stands with him. I thought a lot about my brother at that moment. This will stay in my heart forever.”

Lastly, he looked ahead to Corinthians’ final stretch of the season. Timão are 10th in the Brazilian Championship with 32 points — eight wins, eight draws and eight losses — with 26 goals scored and 24 conceded. In the Conmebol Libertadores, Alvinegro will face Estudiantes of Argentina in the quarterfinals on September 9 and 15 at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time.

The club from Parque São Jorge is chasing its second title in the tournament. The first came in 2012, unbeaten, against Boca Juniors. In this edition, Corinthians have already matched their best run in the competition since that historic title — the 2022 campaign.

“Man, of course it was a special day. It was a qualification we prepared a lot for, for that day, for that match. It was a hard-fought game, the face of Corinthians, literally. Even with one player less, we managed to score a goal and hold on to the result and the qualification,” he said.

Gabriel Paulista was signed by Corinthians at the start of this season after building experience in European football — in England, Spain and Turkey — arriving at Parque São Jorge to be a starter. Since then, he has taken over that role and has scored two goals in 38 appearances for Timão so far (36 as a starter), with one title won: the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil against Flamengo at Mané Garrincha Stadium in Brasília — he scored the first goal in the 2-0 win.

While waiting to return to Libertadores action, Corinthians are now focused on the Brazilian Championship. On Sunday afternoon (30), at 4 p.m. Brasília time, Timão will host Santos at Neo Química Arena for the 25th round of the national competition.

Check out the full video published on Corinthians TV below:

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