Emilly on the Under-20 World Cup: “Representing Brazil is a huge honour” | OneFootball

At 19, Emilly is experiencing another important chapter in her journey. The midfielder is getting ready to play in her second youth World Cup, after taking part in the 2024 U-17 World Cup, and sees the opportunity to wear the national team jersey again as the result of everything she has gone through since her first steps in the sport.

“Representing Brazil is a source of great pride and the fulfillment of a dream. Wearing this jersey also means, to me, crowning the whole process I’ve already been through,” she said.

In an interview with the CBF website, Emilly recalled the beginning of her story in football and shared how discovering the Women’s National Team gave rise to a dream that, until then, had seemed far away.

“At first I didn’t even know women’s football existed. At home, we didn’t have a TV to watch subscription channels. I never imagined myself playing for the national team; I also didn’t know there was a women’s national team. After I found out, it became a dream to be part of it. For a long time I thought about giving up, because I only played with boys and I was getting older, but fortunately I made it, and being here is a source of great joy,” she said.

Emilly spoke about leaving the countryside of Minas Gerais for Rio de JaneiroCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

Born in Leopoldina, in the countryside of Minas Gerais, the midfielder had to leave her family early to pursue her dream of playing football and went through different states and clubs before reaching the World Cup today.

“I started playing football at 6, and my first tournament was when I was 11. At 14, I had the opportunity to leave Minas and went to Rondônia, but I only stayed for a month and came back home because it was very far away,” she said.

“At 15, I went to Duque de Caxias, in Rio de Janeiro, and after playing in the Rio state championship, some clubs became interested in me and I ended up at Flamengo, which was also a huge achievement. When I started playing, I dreamed of playing for Flamengo, because it has always been the club closest to my heart,” she added.

Emilly during a Brazil Women’s U-20 training session in PolandCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE DEBUT

The Brazil Women’s U-20 National Team continues preparing for the World Cup. This Wednesday (2), the team coached by Camilla Orlando held its first on-field training session in the city of Bielsko-Biała, Poland, where it will play its three group-stage matches in the tournament.

“My heart is a little anxious, but I know we’ve been working hard and with a lot of focus to take the first step at the World Cup. Brazil arrives prepared, the group is united, and we know what needs to be done,” said Emilly.

On Saturday (5), Brazil will make its debut against Tanzania. Then it will face Canada on the 8th and England on the 11th. All of these first-phase matches will be played at Bielsko-Biała Stadium at 10 a.m. (Brasília time). The games will be broadcast live on SporTV and CazéTV.

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