Lelê recalls Corinthians journey, eyes titles and 2027 World Cup | OneFootball

One of the biggest winners in the history of Corinthians Women, goalkeeper Lelê spoke about her journey in the black-and-white shirt, her goals for the rest of the season, and her dream of playing in the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.

In an interview with the official Paulistão Feminino profile, the shot-stopper recalled the start of her career and said she never imagined she would achieve so much in women’s football. Lelê currently has 183 appearances for Corinthians and has won 15 titles with the club, making her the goalkeeper with the most appearances in the Brabas shirt.

When speaking about her own journey, the No. 12 highlighted how satisfied she is with everything she has built throughout her career.

“It’s funny when you think about it, because back at the beginning I had no idea how big my story in women’s football would become. Sometimes I still find it a little hard to believe everything I’ve been building, everything that’s been happening. But I’m very happy to have reached where I am, to have achieved what I’ve achieved, and in the end it’s all worth it. That feeling of a dream come true, coming true every single day.”

In addition to her title-winning history with Corinthians, Lelê has also earned call-ups to Brazil’s youth and senior national teams. For the rest of 2026, the goalkeeper said she intends to keep fighting for titles with the club and remain on the Brazilian national team lists.

“My first two goals are to have a good 2026, win titles with Corinthians, keep being called up to the national team and, in 2027, definitely the World Cup.”

The goalkeeper also spoke about her expectations for the 2027 World Cup, which will be played on Brazilian soil. According to her, the tournament could mark a milestone for the development of women’s football in the country and for Brazil’s pursuit of its first world title.

“I believe it will be a very unique moment for women’s football in our country. I think for the Brazilian national team, then, it will be something unforgettable, because we’ll be fully committed and will have the opportunity to chase the first World Cup. And with our fans, with women’s football much more developed, having grown so much, I believe it will be something magical, and I hope I can be part of it. It’s a wonderful feeling, a sense that this World Cup may be preparing something good for our women’s national team.”

Despite her goals for the national team’s next cycle, Lelê is still recovering from tendinopathy in the back of her right thigh. The injury was suffered during the friendly against the United States Under-23 national team, played in June at Neo Química Arena, and was later confirmed by Corinthians.

The expectation is that the shot-stopper will return to the pitch during the remainder of the season, when Corinthians will compete in the Brazilian Championship, the Paulista Championship, the Copa do Brasil and the Conmebol Libertadores. However, the goalkeeper is still not expected to be available for head coach Emily Lima for this Friday’s (18) match at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) against Ferroviária at Fazendinha, in the fourth round of the Paulista Women’s Championship.

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