Brazil Under-16s beat Portugal to win third straight Montaigu title | OneFootball

The Brazil Men’s U-16 National Team won the Montaigu Tournament title for the third time, a traditional competition held in France since 1976. The third championship came this Monday (6), with an exciting 1-0 victory over Portugal, thanks to a penalty scored by Rodrigo, in a match played at Maxime Bossis Stadium in Montaigu.

Brazil had already been champion in 1984 and 2022 and has now become the South American country with the most Montaigu Tournament trophies, surpassing Argentina, which has two titles.

To win its third title, under head coach Guilherme Dalla Déa, Brazil debuted with a draw in the group stage — 1-1 against Ivory Coast — and then earned two victories: 1-0 over China and 3-0 over the host nation, France. The team thus qualified as the top side in Group A to face Portugal, which won Group B, also made up of Japan, Mexico, and Peru.

“I’m very happy. The feeling of scoring the title-winning goal is incredible. I hadn’t scored any goals in the tournament. I can only thank God. It was a very difficult, very hard-fought match, with a lot of duels. It’s really great to take part in the Montaigu Tournament, it helps develop us, gives us experience, and we learn a lot,” said Rodrigo, a Vasco player and the match-winner in the final.

The title came in unprecedented fashion, with three wins and one drawCredits: Fabio Souza / CBF

Organized since 1976, the competition has established itself as one of the most traditional and important youth tournaments in the world. The last edition Brazil had taken part in was in 2022, when the generation led by Luís Guilherme, Pedrinho, and Endrick were crowned champions and ended a 38-year drought.

After winning the Copa 2 de Julho and the Conmebol Liga Evolución, a competition that brought together South American national teams, head coach Guilherme Dalla Déa reinforced the importance of having the players face different footballing schools from around the world. This Monday, after the victory over Portugal, he praised the players’ dedication and the work of the coaching staff.

Brazil overcame Portugal in the final with grit, organization, and skillCredits: Fabio Souza / CBF

“The Montaigu Tournament is fantastic, with several different footballing schools. It’s very good for the development and preparation of these young players with a focus on the future of the Brazil National Team. There’s nothing better than experiencing difficult matches, complicated at times. But they understood. It’s very important to face African, Asian, and European schools and come out victorious. Our players will keep this in their memories. We’re heading back to Brazil very happy because of all the work done by the players and the coaching staff. I’d also like to thank the CBF for providing this opportunity to the players,” said Dalla Déa.

Amarelinha captain, center back Miranda also made a point of highlighting the importance of the achievement.

“Everyone was very committed and we played an excellent match against Portugal. We prepared a lot to bring home this title. It’s a really great tournament. We learn from different schools and cultures, we learn new playing characteristics, new formations, new structures. We’re all very happy,” said Miranda, a São Paulo player.

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