Chelsea forward João Pedro is optimistic that Brazil’s offense will soon come together, especially after fans voiced their frustration with the team’s recent performances.
Following a 2-1 friendly loss to France last week, Brazilian supporters chanted for the sidelined Neymar, lamenting the national team’s struggles to score goals.
Under the guidance of coach Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil’s lineup featured talented forwards such as Barcelona‘s Raphinha and Arsenal‘s Gabriel Martinelli, supporting Real Madrid‘s Vinícius Júnior and Manchester United‘s Matheus Cunha.
“We’re learning to understand each other better,” said João Pedro, who came off the bench in the second half against France, in an interview with ESPN Brasil.
“I play in England, Vini is in Spain, and Raphinha is at a different club. We need to train together like we do with our clubs, where we spend the entire year. The national team operates differently from club football, so quick adaptation is essential.
“With more training time, everything will start to flow more naturally. Things will come together soon enough.”
Brazil has been without Neymar, their all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, since October 2023, when he suffered an ACL tear while playing for the national team.
Having faced challenges in regaining his best form with Santos, Ancelotti has opted not to include him in the squad. Key players in La Liga, such as Vinícius and Raphinha, have also struggled to perform at their best for Brazil.
Vinícius has netted only eight goals in 46 caps, while Raphinha has scored 11 times in 36 appearances.
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At 24 years old, João Pedro believes that the weight of not winning the World Cup in 24 years is affecting the performance of some star forwards.
“Previously, we had legends like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Romário, but in today’s football, Brazil still boasts similar talents,” he commented.
“We’ve got Vini at Real Madrid, Raphinha at Barcelona, alongside myself and Estêvão at Chelsea, and Andrey too. We’re all part of top-tier clubs.
“It’s frustrating that Brazil hasn’t lifted the World Cup in so long. We’re considered the ultimate national team, and when years pass without a win, that pressure mounts.”
With Raphinha now sidelined for five weeks due to a hamstring injury, João Pedro, who has recorded 14 goals and eight assists in 31 league matches for Chelsea, is anticipated to start in the friendly against Croatia in Orlando on Tuesday.
The five-time World Cup champions will kick off their World Cup journey against Morocco on June 13.