Portuguese boss on Pedro’s Copa snub: “Brazil’s best finisher left out” | OneFootball

Pedro was not called up for the 2026 World Cup

The absence of Pedro from the Brazil National Team squad for the World Cup sparked debate in the sports world. After Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday (13), for example, the topic came up again. Feirense (POR) head coach Laurindo Filho called for the presence of the Flamengo striker in the tournament.

— In other eras, Brazil had players who decided big games, like in 2002 with Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, or in 1994 with Romário and Bebeto. They were teams that were strong collectively, but with finishers who made the difference -, he said, before concluding:

— Brazil’s best finisher was not called up. It’s Pedro, from Flamengo. He is a player with very specific characteristics, difficult to fit in at first, but with brutal finishing ability. In a short competition, that makes a difference: in two chances, he scores one -, the coach concluded.

Why did Pedro’s absence become a topic of debate again?

At the start of the match between Brazil and Morocco, in the 15th minute, Vinicius Júnior made a good play down the left and delivered a perfect cross for Igor Thiago. The center forward, however, misjudged the ball and wasted the chance. As a result, fans on social media imagined the play with Pedro in place of the number 25.

What is Davi Esteves’ opinion on Pedro’s absence from the World Cup?

“Pedro should be part of Brazil’s World Cup squad. Fla’s center forward is technically better and has more to offer than Igor Thiago, from Brentford (ENG), his main rival for the position,” he said, before concluding:

“I believe the serious injury he suffered to his left thigh at the end of 2025 kept Pedro out of this World Cup, because he was not able to be tested. Even so, based on his performances this season, Flamengo’s number 9 should have been taken by Ancelotti”, concluded the Coluna do Fla journalist.

Has Pedro ever played in a World Cup?

After a spectacular season with Flamengo, Pedro was called up by Tite for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On that occasion, the striker started the tournament as a substitute for the Brazil National Team.

However, Pedro received few opportunities, but ended up taking part in Brazil’s elimination against Croatia in the quarterfinals. The player came on during extra time and converted his kick in the penalty shootout, but Brazil did not advance in the competition.

What is Brazil’s next match?

While Pedro enjoys the last few days of his vacation, the Brazil National Team is preparing to face Haiti this Friday (19), in the second round of the World Cup group stage. Thus, the ball starts rolling at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla will bring all the details of the match between Brazil and Haiti through the website and social media. However, Globo (free-to-air TV), SporTV (pay TV), GE TV (YouTube), Cazé TV (YouTube), SBT (free-to-air TV) and N Sports (pay TV) will broadcast the Brazil National Team’s debut.

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