Coluna do Fla
·1 June 2026
Flamengo player turns down call-up before the World Cup

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·1 June 2026

Erick Pulgar has turned down another call-up to the Chilean National Team. Coach Nicolás Córdova stated that the Flamengo midfielder has personal reasons for not representing his country. Therefore, the midfielder will miss the friendlies against Portugal and Congo.
According to journalist Rodrigo Hernández on Radio DNA, the midfielder is not convinced by the current direction of the Chilean national team. As a result, Pulgar would prefer to return when there is a definitive project in place and official competitions to play.
The Chilean team finished last in the South American Qualifiers. As a result, the midfielder’s national team will not take part in the World Cup, which begins on the 11th. So Chile’s most recent call-up is for warm-up friendlies.
That is because Chile will serve as ‘sparring’ for Portugal and Congo, who are in Group K of the World Cup. In Pulgar’s absence, the first match takes place on Saturday (06), in Lisbon, starting at 2:45 PM (Brasília time).
The Flamengo number 5 has not been part of the Chilean national team since 2024. So, the 32-year-old had the chance to return in March this year, but turned down the call-up for the first time. On that occasion, the Chilean wanted to fully recover from an injury at Fla.
While Pulgar is out of the World Cup, Brazil has taken Danilo, Lucas Paquetá, Alex Sandro and Léo Pereira. The trio of De La Cruz, Varela and Arrascaeta is with Uruguay, while Colombia called up Jorge Carrascal. Finally, Gonzalo Plata represents Ecuador.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.







































