Ex-Chile player slams Flamengo’s Pulgar: “Never call him up again”

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·23 September 2026

Ex-Chile player slams Flamengo’s Pulgar: “Never call him up again”

Erick Pulgar asked not to play for the Chilean National Team anymore

Erick Pulgar’s decision to stay out of Chile call-ups continues to make headlines in sports news. Former Chilean player Esteban Paredes strongly criticized the Flamengo midfielder and said he would not call the player up.

— Pulgar isn’t going to the national team because he has been heavily criticized, that’s what he said. If that’s the reason, I consider him mentally very fragile. Obviously, football players are subject to criticism. People will always criticize, for better or worse, and you need to be aware of that -, he said, before concluding:

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— If Pulgar doesn’t want to go to the national team because he’s going to be booed, I would never call him up again. Playing for the national team is not an obligation, but it is something that needs to come from within the player-, concluded Esteban Paredes during the program ‘Tipsters’.

Why is Pulgar out of Chile’s call-ups?

Even while in good form for Flamengo, Erick Pulgar has been left out of the Chilean National Team squads. It is worth remembering that ‘La Roja’ did not qualify for the World Cup and, during the tournament, only played friendlies. However, the Flamengo player turned down the call-up for those matches.

Chile coach Nicolás Córdova made Erick Pulgar’s “no” to the national team public. In addition, according to Chilean Federation president Pablo Milad, the midfielder’s decision involves his discomfort with the way he and his family were treated.

What did Pulgar say about the Chilean National Team?

In light of the different versions that have circulated in recent days about my situation with the Chilean National Team, I want to clarify one thing very simply: everything is fine with Nicolás Córdova. He came to see me a few weeks ago and I received him very well; there is respect on my part for him and his work. Throughout my career I have never been driven by praise or criticism. I have always tried to focus on my work, compete, and respond on the field, which is also why I do not usually comment on every piece of information or assumption that appears about me. Yes, I would like all the space that is now being used to try to explain, based on assumptions, why I am or am not in a call-up, to also be used to give visibility to the young players who are being called up to the national team: to know who they are, where they come from, their stories, and the path they took to get there. There is a new generation that deserves support, space, and trust. That should be the focus today.”

When was Pulgar’s last match for Chile?

The last time Erick Pulgar played for the Chilean National Team was in October 2024, in the South American World Cup Qualifiers. On that occasion, the Flamengo midfielder started in the defeats to Bolivia and Colombia, by 2-1 and 4-0, respectively.

What are Pulgar’s numbers at Flamengo?

Erick Pulgar joined Flamengo in July 2022, after a spell at Fiorentina (ITA). At the time, Mengão paid 2.8 million euros (R$ 14.96 million) to sign the Chilean.

Since then, the midfielder has made 164 appearances, with six goals and nine assists. In addition, Pulgar has the following titles on his résumé: two Copa do Brasil titles (2022 and 2024), two Libertadores titles (2022 and 2025), one Brasileirão title (2025), one Supercopa do Brasil title (2025), and three Carioca titles (2024, 2025, and 2026).

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