Youngest in the squad, Gabi Rolnik celebrates Under-17 World Cup debut | OneFootball

The Brazilian National Team began the U-17 Women's World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Morocco. After the match, midfielder Gabi Rolnik, just 15 years old, celebrated her debut and described the thrill of playing in a World Cup.

Describing the moment of her debut, the “youngest” among the 21 players called up for the National Team said it took a while for the reality to “sink in” that she was playing in a World Cup.

“I was there thinking: ‘who will it be?’ When Rilany called ‘Rolnik and Ravena,’ it was an emotion I can’t even explain. I think it took a long time for it to sink in that I was in the World Cup,” said Gabi Rolnik in an interview with the official CBF website.

Rolnik, 15 years old, during preparation for the U-17 World Cup in Morocco. (Photo: Fabio Souza/CBF)

Gabi Rolnik's Journey

The midfielder was born in São Paulo but moved to Portugal at the age of eight. After starting to play football at school, she caught the attention of Benfica and began to play for the traditional Lisbon team.

At Benfica, Gabi Rolnik met coach Rilany, who worked in the youth categories of the Portuguese club from 2019 until early 2024. In 2022, the midfielder was called up for the U-15 for the first time, and when Rilany took over the U-17 this year, she called up the promising player for the U-17.

“I saw the girls being called up for the Portugal National Team, but I never had the desire to wear that jersey. When I started watching the Brazilian National Team play, I felt something very strong inside me,” recalled Rolnik.

Next Challenge for the U-17 National Team

The Brazilian National Team will return to the field next Tuesday when they face Costa Rica, starting at 1 PM (Brasília time). The Canarinho shares the lead in Group A with Italy — both have three points and a goal difference of three.

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