Palmeiras ramp up Copinha prep, Arthur: ‘It’s the youth World Cup’

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Nosso Palestra

·22 December 2025

Palmeiras ramp up Copinha prep, Arthur: ‘It’s the youth World Cup’

Two weeks before the debut in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Palmeiras continues its intense preparation at the Academia de Futebol. The Verdão team will take the field for the first time in the competition on Monday, January 5, at 7:30 PM (Brasília time), against Monte Roraima-RR, at the Arena Crefisa Barueri. The tournament marks the end of the season for the Under-20 category.

Among the most experienced names in the squad is left-back Arthur, who will be playing in his third Copinha and is seeking, this time, his first personal title in the competition. Aware of the tournament’s importance for the development of athletes, the player highlighted the significance of the contest.

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Copinha is the World Cup of the youth teams. While the professionals are on vacation, we’re working, the focus is on the Under-20s. The fans also show up in large numbers at the stadium, and that makes a big difference. The boys who are arriving now aren’t used to it.

The 2025 season was special for Arthur. The left-back was included in the squad for five matches with Palmeiras’ professional team and also received a call-up to the Brazil Under-20 National Team, reflecting his good performance throughout the year. The upcoming Copinha will be the last youth tournament played by the athlete, who has been with the club since 2017.

It was a very productive year; I was able to make the most of the opportunities I had. After the Copinha and the start of the Brazilian Championship, I reached the National Team because of my performance on the field. I also made it to the professional squad, was included, and had experiences with players in my position – Piquerez is a great reference, an idol of the club.

Proud of the journey he has built at the club, Arthur emphasized his evolution over the years and the responsibility of sharing experiences with his younger teammates.

I am very proud of everything I have achieved in these nine years at Palmeiras, from Under-11 to Under-20. I went through many things and knew how to seize the opportunities I had. Now, I can share my experience with my teammates.

Palmeiras is seeking its third Copinha title. The first triumph came in 2022, with a 4-0 victory over Santos in the final. In 2023, Verdão became two-time champions by defeating América-MG 2-1 in the decider. In the 2025 edition, the club is part of Group 27, alongside Batalhão-TO, Monte Roraima-RR, and Remo, with Barueri as the host city.

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