Vasco fan Bruno Guimarães travels down memory lane to relive old times | OneFootball

The midfielder Bruno Guimarães, a Vasco fan born in Vila Isabel, returned to the Maracanã, just 2 km from where he lived in his childhood. The connection with the stadium proved strong, with a standout performance in Brazil's 3-0 victory over Chile. The Newcastle player's performance pleased Carlo Ancelotti, the national team's coach, who already saw him as a pillar of the team for the 2026 World Cup.

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Bruno Guimarães (in orange) enjoys the Maracanã with family to cheer for Vasco — Photo: Personal Archive

Beginning of a new era

Bruno Guimarães has become the player with the most matches for the national team since the Qatar World Cup, with 23 starts in 28 games. His consistency has made him a key piece in midfield. The performance against Chile, at the Maracanã, was confirmation that he can deliver what is expected of him in the national team. The player himself expressed his satisfaction: “I'm very happy. It was a very good match and I'm happy to be the Bruno I want to be in the national team. It's just the beginning... There's a lot ahead.”

Maracanã, stage of good memories

Bruno's connection with the Maracanã is old. The player used to frequent the stadium in his childhood to cheer for Vasco and already had a history of important moments there. The now renovated stadium continues to be a lucky place for him. “The Maracanã always brings me a lot of luck. I scored here in the South American semifinal (2018) against Fluminense, decisive penalty against Flamengo in the Brazil Cup where we were champions, in 2019. Now, another goal. It's a stadium that usually brings me luck.”

The goal, the second of his career for the national team, and his performance against Chile were a shortcut to the past. His agility, with vertical passes and dispossessions in attack, reminded many of the boy who stood out on the courts of Grajaú Country Club, less than 5 km from the Maracanã. For him, the match's balance was positive: “I leave here confident and happy to have scored. I've been looking for this goal for a very, very long time. Now, it's about continuing the work.”

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Bruno Guimarães celebrates goal for the national team at the Maracanã — Photo: Léo Sguaçabia

Ancelotti's work and the future

The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti brought new confidence to the team, and Bruno Guimarães praised the coach's philosophy. “We have much more confidence, which he managed to bring back to the players. The work is being shown and we are happy with him. It's about continuing.” He highlighted the importance of “conceding few goals”, one of the Italian coach's priorities.

Adventure at altitude

Bruno Guimarães' next match with the national team will be against Bolivia, in El Alto, at 4,100 meters above sea level. The match will be the player's 17th in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The altitude, however, is not new to him, who scored his first goal for the national team precisely in Bolivia, in the last round of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup. Far from the Maracanã, he is preparing for another challenge, seeking new memories in the journey that confirms him as the player who has defended Brazil the most in the current cycle.

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