Erick Pulgar cautious on 2030 World Cup, keeps Chile door open and urges focus on youth | OneFootball

Erick Pulgar has played down his chances of reaching the 2030 World Cup, keeping the door ajar for Chile while urging patience with a new generation.

“I would love to see Chile back at a World Cup, but it would not be honest to guarantee that I will make it,” he told O Globo.

“The national team will always be important to me and, if further down the line I can contribute, I will be willing to talk about it. But today the focus needs to be on the youngsters.”

He rejected claims he avoids La Roja because of pressure, saying: “I never said I did not want to go to the national team because I could not handle the pressure”.

He last played for Chile on 15 October 2024, featuring for 84 minutes in a 4-0 defeat to Colombia in qualifying. Chile later missed the 2026 World Cup and began a rebuild.

He skipped March friendlies with Cabo Verde and New Zealand, reportedly due to muscle overload. In June he declined Portugal and DR Congo for personal reasons, then, despite August talks in Rio, was omitted again on 10 September.

At Flamengo under Leonardo Jardim he remains central, signing an improved deal in early September through December 2029. Since arriving from Fiorentina in 2022, he has won two Libertadores, the Brasileirão and two Copas do Brasil.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”