Gi Fernandes relishes chance with the senior women's national team | OneFootball

In February of this year, Gi Fernandes was called up to the Senior Women’s National Team for the first time, but she was unable to join the squad after suffering an injury to her right thigh. Two months later, she finally joined the Canarinha. In an interview with CBF TV, the full-back revealed what it was like to hear her name for the first time in Arthur Elias’ squad announcement.

“I was hopeful, but I was on a plane with no internet while the squad announcement was happening. When we landed and I turned airplane mode off on my phone, I saw a lot of messages and thought: 'My God, I’ve been called up'. I cried and was very happy. My whole family was waiting for it too, so it was a really special moment,” she said.

A few days after this moment of happiness, the player suffered an injury and was unable to join the Brazil squad for the friendlies against Costa Rica, Venezuela and Mexico. She spoke about how difficult that moment was, but emphasized that she is happy about the opportunity in the FIFA Series, especially because the matches will be in Brazil.

“At the moment of the match, when I felt it was a different kind of pain, it was really bad. When I went to the hospital for the tests, I was hoping it wasn’t anything serious. I was very sad, it was a difficult day for me, but it happens. I think this call-up is even more special because it’s here in Brazil and my family will be able to watch the matches,” she said.

Gi Fernandes during her first training session with the Senior Women’s National TeamCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/CBF

YOUTH-LEVEL HISTORY

Although this is her first time with the senior national team, Gi Fernandes already knows a little about what it feels like to wear the Canarinha. A two-time South American champion with Brazil’s Women’s U-20 National Team, the full-back had a long spell in Brazil’s youth setup and highlighted how important that experience was for her growth as an athlete.

"They were good steps for me, so I wouldn’t skip stages. Sometimes when you skip a stage, you end up missing out a little on game tactics and experience. I had the opportunity to play in two U-20 World Cups and that was very important so I could be better prepared to get here. If I had skipped that stage, maybe I wouldn’t be ready to be here today," she explained.

Gi Fernandes is a two-time South American championCredits: Fabio Souza/CBF

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

During the interview, the full-back spoke about the beginning of her journey in football and revealed that it all started with her father’s support.

"My father was the one who encouraged me. He used to take my brother to training, and I would stay with him and start playing with other kids. That’s how he realized I had potential," she said.

“I played in several places in Praia Grande (in Santos). I started at a football school, went to Santos at 13, moved up to the professional team there, and today I’m at Corinthians,” she added.

Gi Fernandes gave an exclusive interview to CBF TVCredits: Samara Moumei/CBF

CORINTHIANS

In 2024, Gi Fernandes signed for Corinthians after a long spell at Santos. The player highlighted how important joining the ‘Brabas’ squad was in helping her reach the Brazilian National Team.

“Corinthians is the best team in the Americas and I’m very happy because there are many people in the club I can look up to. I believe being there helped me a lot to reach the national team today. The demands at Corinthians, both inside the club and from the fans, are very high and that helped me develop as an athlete.”

Gi Fernandes arriving for her first training session with the Senior Women’s National TeamCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/CBF

BRAZIL’S FIFA SERIES SCHEDULE

The Brazilian National Team is in camp to compete in the FIFA Series, a set of friendlies organized by world football’s governing body with the aim of creating more opportunities for matches between national teams for competitive balance, technical development and intercontinental exchange.

Brazil faces South Korea on Saturday (11), Zambia on April 14 and Canada on the 18th. All matches will kick off at 9:30 p.m. (local time - 10:30 p.m. in Brasília), at Arena Pantanal, in Cuiabá (MT).

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