Ancelotti backs Rayan for bright future with national team | OneFootball

The Brazilian National Team call-up for the friendlies against France and Croatia was full of new faces. The list from coach Carlo Ancelotti includes five players who had never been called up by the Italian before.

The newcomers are: defender Léo Pereira from Flamengo, midfielders Danilo from Botafogo and Gabriel Sara from Galatasaray, as well as forwards Igor Thiago from Brentford and Rayan from Bournemouth. Ancelotti wants to get to know the players better on a personal level.

“When we call a new player, it’s not to see how they perform on the field, we already know that. We have to see how they fit into our environment. I want to know their character. We know perfectly well how they are playing, we evaluate every player who is and isn’t on this list. On a technical level, we know them all. I want to know them on a character level. They are players who deserve to be here because they are playing well,” said the coach this Monday, at a press conference at the CBF headquarters.

Praise for Rayan

Ancelotti also showered Rayan with praise. Revealed by Vasco, the 19-year-old player quickly adapted to English football and already has two goals and one assist in seven matches for Bournemouth. The coach sees a future for the youngster in the Brazilian National Team.

“Rayan is a powerful player, has quality, good attitude. He has performed very well in the Premier League, he is young. Certainly, he has a future in the National Team. I don’t know if for the next World Cup, but he deserves to be here for what he’s been doing,” he commented.

See also: All news from Gazeta Esportiva Gazeta Esportiva YouTube Channel Follow Gazeta Esportiva on Instagram Gazeta Esportiva WhatsApp Channel

This will be the last opportunity for Ancelotti to conduct tests with the Brazilian National Team before finalizing the list for the World Cup.

Brazil will face the current World Cup runner-up France on March 26th (Thursday), at 5 PM (Brasília time), at Gillette Stadium in Boston. The match against Croatia will be on the 31st (Tuesday), starting at 9 PM, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Upcoming matches for the Brazilian National Team

Schedule until the World Cup

The Brazilian National Team’s list for the 2026 World Cup will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti on May 18th. On the 25th, the group will begin preparations for the World Cup at Granja Comary, in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro.

The last match of the Brazilian team on home soil will be on May 31st, against Panama, at Maracanã. The delegation will depart for the United States on June 1st and will have a final test before the start of the World Cup, against Egypt, in Cleveland, on the 6th.

The Brazilian National Team is in Group C of the World Cup. The group also includes Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

Brazil’s debut will be on June 13th, against Morocco, in New Jersey. Six days later, on June 19th, the team will face Haiti in Philadelphia. The Canarinho will conclude its group stage participation on the 24th, against Scotland, in Miami.

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