It’s easier to find phrases from teammates about Alex Sandro than statements from him about himself or football itself. Discreet off the field and averse to social media in an era in which athletes indulge in them, the São Paulo native from Catanduva carries this trait onto the pitch, with defensive characteristics.
“He’s antisocial, right?” defender Bremer often jokes, who was his colleague at Juventus for two seasons and now joins him in the Brazilian national team.
Within the four lines, the sober profile seems appropriate to Carlo Ancelotti’s needs in Brazil’s preparation for the 2026 World Cup. If he does not have an offensively prolific left-back, the Italian coach adopts the solidity of a 35-year-old player aware of his tactical obligations.
“He is an experienced full-back, he has personality. When he is at a good physical level, he is one of the best available in this sector”, declared the coach.
Ancelotti has no intention of repeating Brazil’s three-time title in 1970 this year, but if there is one position in which there can be a parallel, it is that of Alex Sandro. In what is recognized as the best football team built in history, the left-back, Everaldo, was correct and very discreet, so that pelés, gersons, rivellinos and pennies shone.
The current team does not have Pelé, Gerson, Rivellino or Tostão. Football, in general, has also changed a lot in the last 56 years. However, the concept that some need to carry the piano so that others can enchant the audience remains valid.
He’s an experienced full-back, he has personality. When it is at a good physical level, it is one of the best available in this sector
The big name in Brazil today is striker Vinicius Junior, who was named by FIFA (International Football Federation) as the best player in the world in 2024 and likes to attack from the left wing, without defensive responsibilities. For him to have freedom, a firm left-back is necessary in marking.
That man, for Carletto, is Alex Sandro, who, get this, started out as a striker. Rejected at São Paulo and Santos, he ended up being accepted at Atlético Paranaense (now Athletico), where he became a full-back and became a professional. He caught the attention of a group of investors who placed him at the previously disdainful Santos, and a career with many trophies took shape.
Always a solid supporting player, the São Paulo native has accumulated important titles at Santos, Porto, Juventus and Flamengo, his club since 2024. He joined the national team in 2011, but, with competitors like Marcelo and Filipe Luís, he was left out of the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. In 2022, called up as a starter, he only played in the first two matches and suffered an injury to his left hip.
It seemed like the end of the line in the national team, but the lack of position and the difficulty shown by other players called up kept him in the group. When Ancelotti took over Brazil in 2025, he took into account all the years he had watched him in European football.
“Obviously, experience brings some kind of knowledge,” said Alex Sandro –16 years older than strikers Endrick and Rayan, his teammates at the 2026 World Cup–, whilst adopting a serene and humble tone.
“Sometimes, younger people are more important to more experienced people than more experienced people are to younger people. We see how much energy they have. Then we try to take it for ourselves and try to teach them that sometimes it is not necessary to use all that energy at once, there is a way to moderate it. This exchange of knowledge is very good”, he observed.
With each day becoming more wise and less vital, he has been the target of criticism from Flamengo fans for his performance in 2026. This did not stop the red and black board from agreeing this week to renew his contract until the end of 2027.
Ancelotti also seems confident he made the right choice. If everything goes according to the coach’s plans, the hexa will have a left-back as discreet as the tri.
