Brazil national team manager Dorival Junior has officially unveiled his full squad for the upcoming 2024 Copa America. The tournament is set to start on June 20th here in the United States. Although typically reserved for South American nations, the United States men’s national team will take part in the competition as tournament hosts.
Seleção will enter the contest as one of the two favorites to lift the trophy come July. Along with Brazil, reigning World Cup winners Argentina are also expected to advance deep into the competition. The two teams share an intense rivalry. Dorival’s side is set to begin their tournament run with Group D matchups against Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Colombia.
Most of the coach’s selections were fairly straightforward. Skillfull goalkeeping duo Alisson and Ederson were both unsurprisingly named in the 23-man squad on Friday. The duo is among the top shot-stoppers in the entire world. Along with the outstanding keepers, Brazil has a lengthy list of quality defenders to help their keep goals out of the back of the net. This includes Real Madrid’s Eder Militao and Arsenal center-back Gabriel Magalhaes.
Nevertheless, Brazil is historically more known for its offensive flare than their defensive work. Dorival’s latest squad is certainly no exception to this notion. The manager picked five midfielders, all hailing from current Premier League clubs. Bruno Guimaraes, Douglas Luiz, and Lucas Paqueta highlight the dynamic quintet in the middle of the pitch.
Going forward, Dorival selected some serious firepower up front heading into the tournament. While Neymar is set to miss out on the competition due to a serious knee injury, LaLiga trio Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Raphinha will take charge of the potent Brazil attack. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli and 17-year-old teen sensation Endrick are also set to give Dorival options going forward.
Although most of the squad was predictable, Dorival did make some notable omissions to his team. Brazil veterans Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus, and Richarlison were all left off of the team’s Copa America squad. The trio have all earned at least 48 total caps for their country through the years.
The Manchester United midfielder has unfortunately experienced a massive drop in form during the current campaign. Despite leaving him off of his squad, the coach maintained that Casemiro may return to the team in the future.
“Casemiro deserves respect from all of us,” claimed Dorival. “Three months ago, I told him what I expected of him. He knows very well what I think of him. I will contact him tomorrow and explain what the future may hold. He’s a player who deserves consideration and we continue to see him as a player at this level.”
Dorival did not particularly address leaving off Jesus, but he did reveal that Richarlison was not selected due to injury. The Tottenham Hotspur striker most recently came off of the bench and netted a goal against Liverpool last weekend. Spurs are set to face Burnley on Saturday, as they hope to grab the final Champions League spot.
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Full Brazil national team squad for the 2024 Copa America:
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Bento (Athletico Paranaense).
Defenders: Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Girona), Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro), Wendell (Porto), Beraldo (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Eder Militão (Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Andreas Pereira (Fulham), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham).
Forwards: Endrick (Palmeiras), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Evanilson (Porto), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Girona), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid).
Photo: IMAGO / Sebastian Frej
