Léo Ortiz on rivalry with PSG, Arsenal defenders in Brazil squad | OneFootball

What did Léo Ortiz, Flamengo’s center-back, say about the competition for a spot on the Brazilian National Team?

Center-back Léo Ortiz doesn’t hide his desire to return to the Brazilian National Team. Even while aiming for a spot at the 2026 World Cup, Flamengo’s No. 3 made a point of highlighting the competition in his position, which includes names like Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães, from PSG (FRA) and Arsenal (ENG), respectively.

— Of course I was frustrated not to be there and wanting to be there, because it’s really something very good. But it’s also something we don’t control. I control what I do on the field. If the opportunity comes, great — he stressed, before concluding:

— If not, we’ll keep doing our best in the Flamengo shirt. And if I return to the National Team, that will be great. If you stop to analyze, I’m competing for a spot with a center-back from Arsenal (ENG), from PSG (FRA), from Lille (FRA)… There are many center-backs in this fight —, concluded Léo Ortiz in an interview with ‘CazéTV’.

HAS LÉO ORTIZ ALREADY BEEN CALLED UP BY ANCELOTTI FOR THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL TEAM?

Yes! Léo Ortiz has already been included by Ancelotti in recent call-ups for the Brazilian National Team. However, even as part of the squad, the Flamengo defender did not get to play for the ‘Amarelinha’.

In the last FIFA window, Léo Ortiz was not among Brazil’s call-ups. Thus, the player remains focused on maintaining strong performances for Flamengo and, with that, stamping his ticket for another ‘Canarinho’ list.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With Léo Ortiz available, Flamengo return to the field this Sunday (19) to face Palmeiras, in the 29th round of the Brasileirão. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Maracanã.

Coluna do Fla TV, as usual, shows the details of the match with the most rubro-negra coverage on the internet, on YouTube, as well as on the website and social media. Finally, Rede Globo (free-to-air), GETV (YouTube) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match.

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