Defender Kathellen shares lessons from two World Cups | OneFootball

“I’ve taken part in two World Cups, and it’s crazy. It’s a different atmosphere, living every second for football. It’s a short period when you have to give everything you’ve got,” Kathellen says. The center back has experienced two very different World Cups with the Brazilian National Team.

At the 2019 World Cup, she had been with the team for only a year since her first call-up and earned her place after the starting defender got injured. Brazil was eliminated by hosts France in the round of 16. Then, in 2023, the team’s early exit in the group stage came a year after winning the Copa América, the first one she had played in. Going through highs and lows taught some lessons.

“We were missing a little more unity in the group. The problem with many Brazilians is trying to find someone to blame and not looking at themselves. I even think there was some post-World Cup depression, thinking about what I could have done more. But we can do things differently now, in the lead-up. Prepare better, focus on what’s best for the group, on what Arthur wants,” she believes.

Since Arthur Elias took over the National Team in September 2023, Kathellen has been called up three times by the coach: for training sessions at Granja and friendlies against Japan and Nicaragua in his first year in charge, and, more recently, for a training camp outside the FIFA international window in Itu.

“It’s an honor, a little unexpected, but I’ve always said that whoever is here has to be fully committed and has earned it. So I won’t take away the credit for having had a great season. We keep doing the same work, trying to represent Brazil abroad,” she points out.

Al-Nassr player Kathellen trains with the senior national team in Itu (SP)Credits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

Return to the Seleção

The center back described the training sessions in Itu, from June 15 to 20, as a reunion. That’s because, like her contemporaries Andressa Alves and Adriana, she received her first call-up to the Seleção there in the countryside of São Paulo in 2018, in preparation for the following year’s World Cup. In her view, the group has evolved over eight years and now faces new challenges.

“It’s important to believe that the work on the table is going to work and to put yourself on the line. There’s a different kind of unity on the field, fighting for one another — if you’re not committed to the Seleção, it won’t fly. You can see that we’re more aggressive and physically better.” According to the player, expectations for the 2027 World Cup are high because Brazil is growing in the sport: “We saw in the last two matches that the fans are willing to show up and follow along, so if that happens, forget it — it’s Brazil.”

Player of the world

Born in the Baixada Santista region, Kathellen moved to the United States at 18 to keep her dream of playing football alive. In the U.S., she played for the Monroe Mustangs, Louisville Cardinals, and UCF Knights. Her first professional contract, however, was signed in France with Girondins de Bordeaux. From there, she went to Inter Milan in Italy and Real Madrid in Spain.

Since August 2024, the center back has played for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. “What I can say to other players is, ‘challenge yourself, don’t get comfortable, seek challenges, seek improvement, and don’t compare yourself to anyone.’ You can only be better than yourself,” she advises.

Watch the interview on CBF TV

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