Some of the biggest Brazilians in the Premier League will not have a role to play during this winter’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar as Brazil announces squad.
Brazil coach Tite left out Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes and Aston Villa midfielder Phillipe Coutinho from the final 26-man squad for Qatar 2022.
Tite surprisingly named 21-year-old Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli despite earlier report from Brazil that he will not make it to the World Cup.
Manchester United winger Antony was also included alongside Tottenham’s Richarlison.
Brazil has one of the most talented and loaded squads of any country on the planet, making them the clear favorite to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The squad also features top names like Neymar, Vinicius Jr, Alisson, Thiago Silva, Gabriel Jesus, and many other global superstars that are household names among football supporters.
There were always going to be notable players left off the World Cup team with such a talented player pool. Tite had the challenging task of selecting the players who will travel to Qatar and, subsequently, those who will not.
Yes, there are some well-known players who won’t be traveling to the World Cup unless there are injuries before the competition, which starts for Brazil on November 24.
The most notable athletes that did not make Brazil’s final 26-man World Cup roster are listed below.
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
The 31-year-old Liverpool forward was expected to trail a brilliant Liverpool attacking trio that included Darwin Nunez when the 2022–23 season got underway in August. He was considered to be on the outside looking in.
Firmino, though, showed that his age is just a number at this stage of his career by developing into a reliable front-line weapon as injuries and poor play befell the Reds’ attacking unit.
Firmino had featured in 12 Premier League games this season, starting 10 of them, scoring six goals and dishing out three assists by the time the Brazil roster was announced. He hadn’t scored, though, in a month (since October 9), and the Reds’ performance has been patchy.
His exclusion was unexpected because Brazil’s roster is heavy on wingers and lacks many real No. 9 forwards. Although Firmino will have to watch the tournament from home, Gabriel Jesus, who used to play primarily as a winger for Man City but is now a center forward for Arsenal, seems to have been preferred. Pedro, a center forward for Flamengo, was also selected in place of Firmino.
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
Arsenal center-back Gabriel may be the most confounding name among those not included in the Brazil World Cup squad.
Yes, Brazil is absolutely loaded at center-back. Finding room behind the likes of Marquinhos, Eder Militao, and Thiago Silva is a nearly impossible job. Yet Tite chose Juventus center-back Bremer over Gabriel, which many might find to be a head-scratching decision.
Gabriel has been one of the most impressive defenders in the Premier League this season, developing a stout partnership with the equally stellar William Saliba.
Meanwhile, Bremer has struggled to settle into life at Juventus, with the club conceding 17.74 expected goals in league play this year, good for just seventh in the Italian top flight, and crashing out of the Champions League after a poor group stage showing.
Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa)
It was always going to be an uphill battle for Aston Villa playmaker Coutinho to make the Brazil roster at the 2022 World Cup.
While Brazil aren’t exactly bursting at the seams with No. 10’s, Coutinho has been in quite poor form this season at Aston Villa, losing his starting place to Emiliano Buendia.
To seal the deal, he came up with a quad injury just the day before Tite was set to announce his World Cup roster, leaving the Brazil boss with no choice but to axe the former Liverpool and Barcelona playmaker from his plans.
Emerson Royal (Tottenham)
The Spurs right-back has been inconsistent in Premier League play, struggling to defend effectively in Antonio Conte’s high-pressing system.
As a result, Emerson was left off the Brazil squad, with 39-year-old Dani Alves chosen instead. It’s an eye-popping decision from Tite, but can be justified that neither player would likely see time behind regular starter Danilo, and Alves was preferred for his experience and leadership.
Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid)
The 23-year-old has seen limited playing time at Atletico Madrid this season, without a single goal on the season thus far.
With so many high-flying and star-studded options for Tite to choose from along the forward line, it was always going to be tough for Matheus Cunha to break into the 26-man squad. He comes up short, with Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Rodrygo, and Flamengo’s Pedro preferred.
Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo)
As previously mentioned, the No. 9 position is not one of general strength for Brazil, and Gabriel Barbosa’s excellent season for Flamengo put him squarely in the conversation for a spot on the World Cup roster.
Ultimately, the 26-year-old Barbosa came up just short, with his Flamengo teammate Pedro chosen instead despite having just two caps to his name at 25 years old. This may not be a choice that ultimately makes a difference, but it must have been a tough call for Tite to choose between the two, knowing it could matter if injuries hit or if Brazil should need a goal late in the game.
Brazil squad for FIFA World Cup 2022
Tite named his final 26-man squad on Monday, November 7, seven days ahead of the FIFA-imposed deadline of November 14.
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras).
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Bremer (Juventus), Dani Alves (UNAM), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea).
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham).
Forwards: Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).
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