Matheus Pereira returns to Corinthians, reflects on international journey

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Central do Timão

·05 de fevereiro de 2026

Matheus Pereira returns to Corinthians, reflects on international journey

By Mirella Ramos / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Recently returned to Corinthians after almost a decade, Matheus Pereira needed only a few weeks to win his first title wearing the black and white shirt. The midfielder was crowned champion of the Supercopa do Brasil last weekend, against Flamengo, and is experiencing a remarkable start in this new stint at the club where he was developed.

In an interview with ESPN, the player highlighted the special meaning of returning to Corinthians and winning a title in his first games. “It’s a huge pleasure, especially since I did all my youth training here before going to Europe. Coming back home, being a Corinthians fan, my family is also Corinthians fans, all of them, so this title has a special taste, after 10 years coming back and winning a title”, he began.

Vídeos OneFootball

Photo: Reproduction / Instagram

In addition to the celebration on the field, Matheus Pereira commented on the pressure he faces off the field. According to the midfielder, the demands come not only from the stands but also from his family environment, which is mostly made up of Corinthians fans.

“There’s always pressure, my uncles, my mother, who is also a crazy Corinthians fan. They always get on my case if I play badly, the pressure is even worse at home. My wife gets on my case. She didn’t understand much about football, but after she started dating me, my God. The worst thing I did was introduce her to football, she’s a big critic now (laughs).”

Corinthians’ interest in the player arose at the end of December, when Matheus Pereira was playing for Fortaleza. The midfielder revealed that he spent his vacation closely following the progress of the negotiations and highlighted the importance of Marcelo Paz in the process.

“I found out about Corinthians’ interest at the end of December. I was going on vacation with my family, so you can imagine how I spent my vacation thinking every day whether it would work out or not. I told my wife every day that the Corinthians deal had to work out, and it just so happened that Marcelo Paz came here. I went back to Fortaleza because of Marcelo, to work with him, and from the moment he came here, things got much easier and there’s no way to say no to Corinthians.”

Even before the official announcement, Matheus Pereira’s arrival at Corinthians was leaked on social media. The person responsible for the “leak” was striker Deyverson, a personal friend of the midfielder since their time at Fortaleza.

“Deyverson became my brother. The bond we created, not just between me and him, but our families too. (The leak) happened just a day before I traveled to São Paulo. I invited him and his wife over to my house for pizza. I told him I was coming to Corinthians. Then, the next day, I was on the plane and saw his stories and thought: ‘my God, Deyverson’. Then I started to panic. I called Carol, my press officer, and told her he had posted it, and at that point nothing was signed yet. But that’s his way, he’s spontaneous. He’s an amazing person, with a huge heart.”

The midfielder also commented on the public image of the striker, which he considers far from reality.

“People have, how can I say, a very wrong image of him, that he’s just a joker, but no, he’s super professional. He went to Ecuador now, and it’s a good thing you didn’t tell me, otherwise his would have leaked too (laughs).”

During his international career, Matheus Pereira had the opportunity to play alongside two of the greatest players in football history. With Cristiano Ronaldo, he shared the locker room at Juventus. He also met Lionel Messi during the Argentine’s last months at Barcelona.

“Cristiano is a fantastic person. He’s an example I carry for life, both on and off the field. In training, you’d see him arriving first, dedicating himself, and when you see these things from an idol like Cristiano, you think: well, there’s no way I can do less than that, because if he achieved everything he did and still does what he does, you see a path there, in his diet, in training, in how he took care of his body. Also, because of the language, he was always close to the Brazilians, with Alex Sandro, with Douglas, who are also fantastic people. My closeness with him helped me a lot day to day, in training, he gave me advice, told me what to do. He’s someone I care about a lot too.”

“With Messi I had the opportunity to train at Barcelona. Those were his last months there, but what he did in training was incredible, fantastic. I didn’t get the chance to play, but just the training sessions I shared with him were worth it,” he added.

Asked about his preference between the two stars, the midfielder answered directly.

“Both are legends, but even because I’m left-footed, I prefer Messi.”

Finally, Matheus Pereira highlighted Memphis Depay’s attitude within the Corinthians squad. According to the midfielder, the Dutch striker plays an active leadership role and is close to the younger players.

“He’s someone who tries to communicate a lot. He even speaks Portuguese very well. He always tries to help the younger ones, everyone. And because he’s Depay, he ends up becoming a reference. He knows his weight, he knows the reference he is for us. He’s someone who’s always looking to help the group.”

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