Hugo Souza rues Brazil snub, thanks Corinthians support after draw | OneFootball

After Corinthians’ 1-1 draw against Peñarol on Thursday night (21) at Estadio Campeón del Siglo in Uruguay, in the penultimate round of the Libertadores group stage, goalkeeper Hugo Souza spoke candidly about missing out on Brazil’s national team call-up for the World Cup.

In an interview in the mixed zone, the black-and-white team’s No. 1 admitted his frustration at not being selected, but stressed that he remains calm and intends to keep working to build a new cycle with the 2030 World Cup in mind.

Photo: Douglas Moreti/Agência Corinthians

“Man, I think it’s impossible to be happy, completely happy with the situation. But the hope was very high, the expectation too. But I knew the choices… Honestly, my heart is very much at peace, my mind is very much at peace,” he said.

Even though he was left off the list announced by Carlo Ancelotti, Hugo emphasized that he will stay focused on Corinthians and believes the work he is doing at the club can open new doors in the future.

“I’m going to keep working the same way, or even harder, to perform at my best here at the club, to always give my best for Corinthians. Because that’s what got me there. And, well, we’ve got another four years to work and build a cycle for 2030,” said the goalkeeper.

Hugo also highlighted the support he received from his family, friends, and especially the Corinthians fans during the period of anticipation leading up to the squad announcement.

“For sure, my work, with everything that’s been happening, with the support of the club, with the support of my family, with the support of my friends, of the people who are by my side… Things will happen naturally. So, I’m very calm, with my heart at peace,” he added.

The keeper also stressed the importance of staying focused on the remainder of Corinthians’ season, with the team still alive in the Libertadores and looking to recover in the Brazilian Championship.

“Now I’m going to work, give my best so that we go into this break in the best condition possible. Both in the Libertadores and in the league. So that we come back in the best way, so that we can achieve our goals. And along with that, my personal goals will come too,” he said.

Finally, Hugo Souza made a point of directly thanking Corinthians fans, who showed their support on social media after Brazil’s squad list was announced.

“I want to thank every Corinthians fan who rooted for me. Who, in some way, felt this pain of mine. And I’m very grateful for everything you have done and do for me. I wouldn’t have gotten here if it weren’t for the club, if it weren’t for the fans,” he said.

The goalkeeper ended his remarks emotionally and reinforced his sense of gratitude for the moment he is living while wearing the black-and-white shirt.

“I’m sure there are 35 million people with the same expectation as me. So, I’m very grateful to Corinthians, grateful to the Corinthians fans, grateful to everyone who rooted for me. And I’m going to keep working, dedicating myself. Because life goes on, life moves forward. So, I’m very grateful, truly. Because that’s how I feel. In the face of all this frustration and sadness, my feeling of gratitude is much greater than all of that.”

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