Pedro and Ancelotti: what the Flamengo striker said after Brazil goal | OneFootball

Flamengo center forward scored, provided an assist, and hit the post in the rout over India

Pedro made the most of the opportunity he had been waiting for with the Brazil national team. Starting against India this Saturday (03) in Kolkata, the Flamengo center forward scored a goal and provided an assist in the 4-0 rout.

After the match, the striker celebrated his first game as a starter and asked for continuity in Carlo Ancelotti’s new cycle. In addition, the performance came in a friendly dominated by Flamengo players.

Estêvão opened the scoring, and Samuel Lino, also from Flamengo, scored twice in the second half. That means three of Brazil’s four goals came from players from the Rio club.

What Pedro said after India 0-4 Brazil

After the final whistle, Pedro highlighted the goal, the win, and the period of work with the squad. The center forward also made it clear that he wants to remain in Ancelotti’s plans:

— Very happy with this goal, my first game as a starter for the national team. Happy with the result, with the win. It’s always good to win, and scoring is even better for a striker. I hope I can have this continuity with the national team and make the most of every opportunity, just like I did today. They were very good days of training and matches, and I made the most of them together with my team. I hope we can have a successful cycle — said Pedro.

The request for continuity comes amid a testing phase for the national team. After the game, Ancelotti indicated that the tendency is to keep much of the group, while opening space for players who have not yet been assessed.

How Pedro performed against India

Pedro earned his place in the starting lineup after Raphinha was ruled out, leaving the national team due to injury. Coluna do Fla had already reported, on the eve of the match, that the striker trained with the starters and was the favorite to begin the friendly.

On the pitch, the center forward nearly scored in the 35th minute. On that occasion, he headed the ball against the post after a cross from Gabriel Bontempo. Shortly afterward, in the 41st minute, he received a long pass from Estêvão, broke through unmarked, and finished low in a play that involved a mistake by goalkeeper Singh Sandhu.

In the second half, Pedro took part in the third goal. In the 12th minute, Samuel Lino pressed India’s build-up, and the ball reached Flamengo’s No. 9. He then returned it first-time for his teammate to finish.

In total, Pedro played 61 minutes before making way for Endrick. Meanwhile, Ancelotti made ten substitutions throughout the second half. Deep into stoppage time, Lino scored again to seal the rout.

Before the match in Kolkata, Pedro had only come on during the 1-1 draw with Australia. As a result, Brazil ended its first international window after the World Cup with two wins and one draw.

Out of the World Cup, Pedro returned to the national team in the new cycle

The goal carries special weight for the striker. After all, Pedro was left out of Ancelotti’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, in which Brazil was eliminated in the round of 16 by Norway.

At the time, the center forward linked the omission to the injury he suffered the previous year. Since then, he has maintained his strong form at Flamengo and was called up again in the first squad announcement of the new cycle.

When will Pedro play for Flamengo again?

Pedro and Samuel Lino will report back to Flamengo this Monday (05). According to Coluna do Fla, the club plans to have both players available against Santos.

The match takes place on Thursday (8) at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Vila Belmiro, in the 29th round of the Brasileirão. After that, Rubro-Negro hosts Fluminense on Sunday (11). Then, it visits Estudiantes (ARG) on the 15th for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores semifinal.

As for the national team, its next commitments will take place in November, in Singapore. Brazil will face Japan and Singapore, and the CBF has yet to announce the squad list for the two friendlies.

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