The Brazilian team had a complicated presentation in the Copa América 2024 last Monday, when they tied 0-0 against Costa Rica at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, which once again raised criticism about the most winning team in World Cups in the history.
30 years ago, Brazil won its fourth world championship in Pasadena led by Romario and Dunga, but in recent years it has not met the expectations corresponding to its quality. In 2026, the World Cup will return to the United States and the Verdeamarelha is still full of questions, starting from the coaching bench.
Roberto Carlos, world champion with Brazil in 2002, sees it all from a distance, as the current ambassador of Real Madrid, and also a faithful supporter of the Brazilian team, despite the fact that Scratch Do Ouro is in sixth place in the World Cup qualifiers and has started the current Copa América on the wrong foot.
“Being an ambassador is fun, I really like it,” said the 51-year-old former Brazilian defender, best known for his superb free-kick goal against France in 1997.
“They always ask me about my goal against France and they forget to ask a little about Real Madrid,” smiled the former full-back, who always travels with Real Madrid and its players.
For this Copa América, Roberto Carlos also has a partnership with Old Parr Scotch Whiskey. Next July 13, before the final of the Copa América, he will be hanging out with fans in Miami, at an event organized by that brand, where they can take photos and mingle with the Brazilian legend.
Speaking about Brazil’s debut in the Copa América, Roberto Carlos said that there is no reason to worry and that “the problem” for the big teams is that football has become too modern.
“Today there are no bad teams. Today they can qualify for the next phase, in the case of Peru and Venezuela, who are very high-level players. It was also before, but they were going to play against Brazil or Argentina, they knew they were going to have difficulty. Nowadays, they play face to face. There are no easy games. “All the games are very complicated,” said the former soccer player. “When the ball doesn’t go in, criticism comes in. The Copa América has never been easy to win. I have won two, but to reach the final it is very complicated, it is very difficult, because the opposing teams defend themselves very well.”
Roberto Carlos said that we should also recognize teams like Costa Rica and congratulate those teams that take points away from us.
The Brazilian team, bottom row from left, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Kleberson, Rivaldo, Cafu, Junior, Ricardinho and Luiazo. Top row from left Lucio, Edmilson, Roque Junior, Gilberto Silva, Marcos, Kaká, Vampeta and Anderson Polga pose before the start of the 2002 World Cup final match between Brazil and Germany in this June 30 file photo 2002 in Yokohama, Japan.
(LUCA BRUNO/AP)
The 1997 and 1999 Copa America winner alongside players such as Romario and Ronaldo Nazario said patience was needed with a team “in transition” like Brazil, which only changed coaches by hiring Dorival Junior, known as a mediator of conflicts and with a special talent for uniting the team. Junior was appointed as Brazil coach after Fernando Diniz was thanked in January this year.
Júnior is the third coach in two years in Brazil, after Tité left the team after the elimination in the quarterfinals in Qatar 2022 against Croatia. Júnior led Flamengo to win the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Cup in 2022 before signing for São Paulo. He has also coached Atlético Mineiro, Atlético Paranaense, Internacional, Vasco da Gama, Fluminense and Palmeiras.
“Dorival has a completely different system than Diniz, or the one Tité had in his time. The players have had time to understand that Dorival has his own way of working, but little training time, sometimes, you leave a club and go to the National Team, it is another way of playing. So, I think the time has come for the players to unite a little more and transform the Brazilian National Team into a family, forget about the part that one is better than the other, put into play the love for football, the desire to score points. , to be champion and to improve, nothing more than that. There is not much secret in football,” explained Roberto Carlos.
Brazilian Roberto Carlos speaks during a press conference in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Tuesday, August 17, 2004.
(MIGUEL GOMEZ/AP)
The Real Madrid ambassador said that in Brazil it is normal for a state of “crisis” to be declared when two games are tied. Brazil had just tied 2-2 against the United States in a friendly match and then tied against the Ticos.
This Friday, Brazil faces Paraguay in the second round of the group stage in Las Vegas and on Tuesday it will conclude the first round against a very tough Colombia in Santa Clara.
“The Copa América is not a preparation for the World Cup, the Copa América is to win it. And of course, prepare even better for the World Cup, which is more complicated, that’s where the European teams come in. So, I think Brazil is on the right path with great players. I am sure that Brazil, starting with the next match against Paraguay, will do even better. I don’t know if they will win easily, because Paraguay also has a good team. But the obligation to win that competition lies with Brazil and Argentina,” added Roberto Carlos.
The Brazilian also compared the mentality of today’s players to that of before, when he played with high-character players like Dunga or César Sampaío.
“I think the mentality has changed for the better. Playing with Dunga was not easy at all, because if you made a wrong pass, Dunga would tell you off, Mazinho would tell you off, Zinho, Cesar Sampaio. My God. The rival teams did not have so many players in Europe. Today they are always there, they are more friends than enemies. In our time, they were more enemies. Today they get along very well on the field,” said Roberto Carlos.
Finally, Roberto Carlos spoke about Endrik, the 17-year-old striker who made his Copa America debut with Brazil and who will join Real Madrid next season. At SoFi Stadium, when Endrik entered the pitch, the roar of the Brazilian fans was heard, as he is considered the next great Brazilian player.
The teenager has burst into the Brazilian national team in the last 12 months, following his incredible promotion to the Palmeiras first team. The young forward, who will join Real Madrid in July, became the second youngest Brazilian player in history to play in a Copa América, surpassing the legendary Pelé when entering the match against Costa Rica.
“It is a great joy to have him here with me, at Real Madrid. Secondly, he is a boy who has a lot of charisma, respectful, very loyal. And of course, on the pitch he is a boy who, soon, will be among the best in the world for his style of play, for his character, for his way of playing,” said Roberto Carlos, a Real Madrid player for almost 10 years. “I want him to have more minutes with the Brazilian national team, not as a substitute, but as a starter and we will talk to Dorival so that Dorival puts him in as a starter. But this is the world of football and he has to keep enjoying himself. He has Vinícius, Rodrygo, Militao, Marquinhos at his side. He has good teachers so that he can continue improving, evolving and when he comes here to Madrid, he will feel very comfortable because we will be helping him, supporting him so that he is another boy in the Real Madrid family and that he continues scoring goals and enjoying the sport a lot.”
