Martinelli ready for Copa, aims to use pressure for Brazil’s gain | OneFootball

A regular presence in recent call-ups for the Brazilian National Team, the young Gabriel Martinelli is eager for the next World Cup. The 24-year-old forward stated that he now feels more experienced as he tries to put Brazil back on top.

“I’m definitely more experienced, with more time in Europe, more games in the Champions League and Premier League. That makes a big difference in football. I’m still young, but I have a lot of games for Arsenal and the National Team. I’m better than I was when I was first called up for the 2022 World Cup. I’m here to contribute. We have a lot of quality players. I’m here for whatever Ancelotti needs,” he said.

“We’ll go into this next World Cup tougher, with more experience and the same desire to win. We’re from Brazil, we know the weight we carry. I’m happy to have this opportunity, regardless of anything, very happy and excited for the next World Cup. God willing, we’ll do really well. We have to carry this weight in a good way, in a positive way,” he added.

“The feeling of playing in a World Cup is completely different. Against Cameroon, when I started the game, seeing my family in the stands and hearing the anthem, it’s priceless. It was the greatest happiness of my life. It was a huge source of pride for me. We wanted to win, we didn’t, but we’ll keep pushing and give even more,” he concluded.

The Arsenal player also talked about the pre-World Cup period, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June 2026. Until then, the youngster still has a whole season ahead with the English team.

“At the same time it feels like there’s not much time left, there’s still a lot for us. We have many games in the season. There’s always that fear that something might happen (injuries), but it’s our job, we have to do our best to be on the World Cup list,” he analyzed.

Brazil vs Bolivia

The Brazilian National Team faces Bolivia next Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time), in El Alto. The stadium is 4,090 meters above sea level. The altitude will be a challenge, but Gabriel Martinelli said the group is not thinking much about it.

“I can’t wait for the game. I’m ready. Our focus is to win in the best way possible. It’s something that can get in the way (the altitude), but we’re focused on the game, we’ve trained better these last few days to be at our best when we get there,” he finished.

Already qualified for the next World Cup, the Seleção comes off a 3-0 win over Chile and is in second place in the standings, with 28 points.

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