Experience and leadership: Ana Beatriz on U-20 World Cup prep | OneFootball

The experience she has built up over the past few years has made Ana Beatriz one of the key figures of Brazil’s Women’s Under-20 National Team heading into the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. At 20 years old, the center back has been included in all eight call-ups made by head coach Camilla Orlando and already has appearances at the 2022 U-17 World Cup and the 2024 and 2026 South American U-20 Championships on her résumé. Now, she faces the biggest challenge of her journey so far: competing in a U-20 World Cup.

For the defender, sharing the lessons she has learned throughout her career is a way to contribute to the team’s growth.

“I know the responsibility I have. I always try to share a bit of my experience, both from on the field and from the lessons I’ve learned off it,” she said.

According to Ana Beatriz, those previous experiences were important for her development as an athlete and also opened doors to achieving other dreams, such as signing her first professional contract with São Paulo. But none of them compares to what she is living now.

“Those other competitions definitely helped me grow a lot, both in my club career, so I could sign my professional contract with São Paulo, and to be here at a World Cup and fulfill my family’s dream,” she said.

Ana Bia during a Brazil Women’s U-20 training session in PolandCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

Brazil’s Women’s U-20 National Team went through a long preparation process before arriving at the World Cup. There were friendlies against Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Portugal, Finland, South Korea, and the United States, in addition to the South American Championship. For Ana Beatriz, that entire period was essential in preparing the team for the challenge in Poland.

“We’ve been preparing a lot since 2025. We played friendlies against strong national teams and went through the South American Championship, which was a key part of our journey. All of that helped us understand a little more about what this World Cup will be like. I feel we are well prepared, and I’m very happy to be here,” she said.

HEAD COACH CAMILLA ORLANDO AS AN INSPIRATION

Ana Beatriz also highlighted head coach Camilla Orlando’s journey as an inspiration. Both are from Brasília, and the center back followed Camilla’s career at club level before meeting her in charge of the U-20 national team. For the player, having a professional from the same city leading the national team is a source of pride and inspiration.

“I’ve known Camilla since I was little because she’s also from Brasília. I’ve always followed her work, at Red Bull Bragantino, at Palmeiras, and when she came to the national team. I’m happy to have someone from my city leading Brazil’s U-20 National Team. I really trust her work, and I really believe in what she has been passing on to us,” she said.

Camilla Orlando gives instructions during Brazil Women’s U-20 first training session in PolandCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

JOURNEY

In an interview with the CBF website, Ana Beatriz said she grew up surrounded by football. The daughter of a former player, she became used to the environment of pitches and courts from an early age.

“I was born on the sidelines of pitches and courts. Little by little I started playing and developed a passion for the sport, nurturing a desire to become a professional athlete so I could fulfill my family’s dream and give them a better life.”

Born in Brasília (DF), her first club was Minas Brasília, where she achieved expressive results at youth level. Her strong performances were decisive in making her dream come true: wearing the São Paulo shirt.

“It was an indescribable feeling (to receive the offer from São Paulo). It was always a huge dream of mine to play wearing São Paulo’s jersey,” she said.

BRAZIL IS ALREADY IN BIELSKO-BIALA

The national team is already in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, the city that will be the team’s home during the first phase of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. The squad arrived on Sunday night (30) and will continue its preparations, focused on its debut on September 5 against Tanzania.

Brazil will then face Canada on the 8th and England on the 11th. All matches will be played at Bielsko-Biala Stadium at 10 a.m. Brasília time.

Brazil Women’s U-20 National Team arrived in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, where it will play the World Cup group stageCredits: Luciana Vermell/CBF

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