In the last game of the year, Brazil returns to Salvador to meet the Copa América winners again

The Brazilian team is ready to face Uruguay, this Tuesday (19), at 9:45 pm, at Arena Fonte Nova, in a game valid for the 12th round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. After five years, the Hopscotch returns to Salvador, where he never lost. So far, there have been 21 matches for the men’s main team in the city, with 15 wins and six draws. The duel, in fact, will mark the final commitment of the team led by Dorival Júnior in 2024.

Until then, the last time Bahians were able to support the Seleção was in 2019. On that occasion, Brazil hosted Venezuela in the same stadium, but were unable to come away from zero on the scoreboard. Despite going blank, there was no shortage of opportunities for the fans present to get the cry of a goal off their chests. However, the two times the ball crossed the goal line, the shots were disallowed.

The clash in question took place during the Copa América, a competition also played in 2024 by Brazil. But the first tournament under the command of Dorival Júnior ended with an early elimination for Uruguay, on penalties, in the quarter-finals. The commander predicts a difficult match in this reunion with Celeste, and warned of the rival’s strengths.

“We try to create as much as we can and, naturally, try to neutralize a team that is dangerous. Uruguay is a team that is also finding a way, always playing with great dynamism and determination, almost individualized marking across the entire field. We will have a very difficult, very complicated game, just as it will be for them, because we will do everything we can to play our best game”, he warned.

For the duel, the Amarelinha coach will not be able to count on full-backs Vanderson and Guilherme Arana. The first received his second yellow card in the previous round, in the 1-1 draw with Venezuela, and is serving a suspension, while the Atlético-MG player did not recover in time from a sprained right ankle. As substitutes, Dodô and Alex Telles were called up.

However, the owner of the right side will once again be the veteran Danilo. The information was confirmed by coach Dorival Júnior during a press conference at Fonte Nova. The coach also revealed that this will be the only change in relation to the clash with the Venezuelans.

Probable lineup for Brazil:

Against Uruguay, goalkeeper Ederson will play his fourth consecutive match as a starter for Brazil. The player equals the sequence he received with Fernando Diniz and consolidates himself with each game as the main archer in Dorival Júnior’s cycle.

Furthermore, the Brazilian has another reason to celebrate. Against Venezuela, the Manchester City athlete completed 500 commitments as a professional athlete.

For the national team, Ederson spent most of his calls as a backup to Alisson. But, in the current edition of the Qualifiers, he was a starter in seven of the 11 rounds held.

If, for the goalkeeper, it is time to celebrate, for Dorival Júnior, the objective is to ward off criticism for the performance shown on the field.

Under the coach’s command, Brazil played 13 games, with six wins, six draws and just one defeat. This is a 61% success rate. Even so, the elimination in the Copa América and the poor performances shown throughout the cycle have been weighing on the coach’s work.

Knowing the pressure to show results, the commander asked the fans for patience, and called on the people of Salvador to support the national team at Fonte Nova.

“What we need is to encourage fans more and more precisely this idea that the Brazilian team will recover and will regain their confidence. That’s all we want to happen, the work is in that direction and what I understand is that we are moving forward. For this confidence to return quickly, we really need the presence of fans supporting us until the last moment”, he stated.