On Brazil call-up, Corinthians full-back credits Ramón Díaz turnaround | OneFootball

Corinthians right-back Matheuzinho is enjoying the best moment of his career. Called up for the first time to represent the senior Brazil national team, coached by Italian Carlo Ancelotti, the No. 2 gave an exclusive interview to TNT Sports and recalled his first months wearing the Corinthians shirt in 2024. Speaking about his ‘turning point’ at Parque São Jorge, he highlighted the importance of Ramón and Emiliano Díaz, who took over the team in the relegation zone and led it to the Libertadores preliminary round.

“I came in as a gamble and, in my first six months, it took me a while to adapt to the club, which was completely different from the club I was at before. I knew I had to change something, so I went after it. I started training more, I started dedicating myself more and more. There was huge help in that turnaround, which came from Emiliano and Ramón, who gave me total confidence. So I started rediscovering myself at Corinthians,” he began.

Photo: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Matheuzinho then recalled Corinthians’ historic surge in the 2024 Brazilian Championship, when Timão won nine straight matches and finished the tournament in seventh place with 56 points and, as mentioned, qualified for the Libertadores preliminary stage. The player said his rise during that period coincided with Timão’s strong collective performances at the time. After a difficult first half of the year, the full-back established himself in the middle of that season and sent Fagner to the bench.

“At that time, the team also started growing together, we had those nine wins. I think that was the turning point, a push from Ramón and Emiliano so that I could increasingly just enjoy the game. From the moment I joined Corinthians, I started to establish myself, I became an undisputed starter, I started playing well and becoming one of the team’s key players, and I knew I could be closer. So we start dreaming bigger, wanting to improve so we can get here,” he continued.

Later, the Corinthians defender also took the opportunity to praise all the work done by the club’s staff, especially the employees at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava, whom he also mentioned as one of the reasons behind his first-ever call-up to the Brazil national team. He also looked ahead to his return to Alvinegro after the FIFA international break.

“The Corinthians staff are 100% important, 100% helpful, because if it weren’t for them there day to day, maybe I wouldn’t have developed the way I did, maybe I wouldn’t have made it here to the national team the way I have. I’m very grateful to the staff and to Corinthians, because they helped me a lot. And I’m sure this call-up belongs to them too. Of course, for that to happen, I have to be doing really well at my club, and when I come back, I’ll be at 110%, wanting to help Corinthians,” he concluded.

Matheuzinho made his first appearance for Brazil on the morning of last Friday (25), against Australia, and stood out statistically, especially defensively, according to the Sofascore platform, a sports statistics app. Brazil returns to the pitch on Tuesday morning (29) at 7 a.m., once again to face the Australians. Then, one week later, on Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m. (Brasília time), they will wrap up the year’s penultimate FIFA international window by facing India away from home.

Meanwhile, Corinthians continue their preparations at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava with an eye on their next commitment of the 2026 season. Timão, coached by Fernando Diniz, will play again only on October 7 at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time) against Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium, in a Matchday 29 clash in the Brazilian Championship and a direct battle against relegation.

At the moment, coming off six straight defeats in the tournament, the Parque São Jorge club sits only 14th with 32 points — eight wins, eight draws and 12 losses, with 29 goals scored and 32 conceded. The team from Rio Grande do Sul is 18th, inside the relegation zone, with 28 points.

Matheuzinho’s journey at Corinthians

Signed at the start of 2024 after coming through Londrina’s youth ranks and building a successful spell at Flamengo, Matheuzinho became a regular starter for Alvinegro midway through his first season with Timão, under Argentine coach Ramón Díaz, sending Fagner — one of the symbols of a successful team over the last decade — to the bench. His debut came in February that year, in a 2-2 draw against Palmeiras at Arena Barueri, in the first phase of the Paulista Championship.

The No. 2 was important in the team’s surge in the 2024 Brasileirão (from the relegation zone to the Libertadores preliminary round — seventh place with 56 points), and was also a starter in the title wins in the Paulista Championship (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively. Overall, he has 65 wins, 43 draws and 49 losses — a 50.5% win rate — representing Corinthians on the pitch, with six goals and 12 assists in that span. In 2026, he has one goal and four assists in 47 matches, making him the squad’s second-best provider.

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