Opinion

Roque for Brazil?

The twenty- year old has hit the goal trail recently but should he be part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans as the World Cup approaches?

Ahh the World Cup is nearly here! Time to slap on the sun cream and head out with your mates to watch the footy, what’s better? watching the cream of the crop battle it out to see who’s the best in the sizzling Summer temperatures of Mexico and the USA, or see who can cope in the colder climbs of Canada, nothing beats it.

Brazil will be there, but as the Serie A season winds to a stop in the Winter, as the year turns to 2026 attention will turn to who Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti will pick to be on the plane with him as he aims to bring back a first World Cup since Ronaldo turned Germany inside out in 2002. Twenty-four years is far too long without triumph for a country of Brazil’s stature and the class of 26 will be in the mix to pick up the famous trophy come July. The question is though, who will put the ball in the net for Verde-Amarela if they are to succeed in North America next year?

The national team are currently in East Asia, playing two friendly games, having dismantled South Korea 5-0 in Seoul on Friday, they now face Japan in Chofu on Tuesday, as Ancelotti dabbles with his team before the Summer tournament. Brazil are of course blessed with a glorious group of talented forward players. Picked in this squad were Real pair Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo – the latter scoring a brace in South Korea. London club rivals, Richarlison and Gabriel Martineli. Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus were also picked along with youngster Estevao, who added to his first Premier League goal for Chelsea with a brace for his country. So where does Roque fit in?

The Minas Gerais local has really started to come good and in the eight games that he has played in since 1st September, he has scored eight goals including a first hat trick for Palmeiras in last month’s demolition of Inter. There is no doubt plenty of talent for Ancelotti to pour over but given Roque’s form recently and if he can keep that up until the end the season he will certainly give the manager something to think about.

Ancelotti is also not afraid to throw home grown players in – Vitinho of Botafogo and Paulo Henrique of Vasco have both been given their national team debuts recently adding to the idea that The Italian is delving into the talent playing at home for the national side more and more nowadays. Could Roque be the next on the list? If so it would be his first call up for two and a half years, and in the process adding to the that one cap against Morroco.