Who is the starting goalkeeper for the Brazilian team? Everyone knows: Alisson. Who is Alisson’s backup in the Brazilian team? Everyone knows: Ederson. Why does everyone know? Because it’s been like that for many years.
Alisson, 33, has been Brazil’s number one for a decade. His ownership began with Dunga, in 2015, and he played in two World Cups there, under the goals of Russia-2018 and Qatar-2022.
Ederson, 32, since 2017, during the Tite era (which lasted from 2016 to 2024), became Alisson’s immediate replacement.
Owners of two of the main clubs in the world, Alisson at Liverpool and Ederson at Manchester City, champions of the Premier League (more than once) and the Champions League (once each), did not give space to anyone else.
Third goalkeepers were there, such as Corinthians idol Cássio (in 2018) and Palmeiras idol Weverton (in 2022), among a few others, just to reinforce the group in training and clap on the bench during games.
Will it be like this again at the 2026 World Cup, eight months from now, in North America? Probably, as long as Alisson and Ederson (who recently left Man City for Fenerbahce, in Türkiye) are fit to play.
Why wouldn’t they be? I avoid futurology, I work with facts. And the facts show that both have had recent injury problems that have ruled them out of the national team.
It used to be one or the other, but this time, for Brazil’s friendlies against South Korea, in Seoul, on Friday (10th, at 8am Brasília), and against Japan, in Tokyo, on Tuesday (14th, at 7:30am), both are simultaneously out.
Alisson suffered a thigh injury on the 1st, against Galatasaray in the Champions League, and Ederson complained of muscle pain in Feberbahce training at the end of last week. The first wasn’t even called up, and the second ended up being cut.
John, 29, 2024 Libertadores champion with Botafogo and now a reserve for the Belgian Sels at English club Nottingham Forest, joined Bento, from Al Nassr (Cristiano Ronaldo’s team in Saudi Arabia) and Hugo Souza, from Corinthians, for the matches in Asia.
They will have a rare opportunity to impress Carlo Ancelotti on this Asian tour, whether in training or in games. In the call-up interview, the Italian coach said that Hugo Souza, 26, would be selected against the Japanese and that Ederson would play against the South Koreans.
Now, who will play the match in the Korean capital? Bento, 26, John, three years older but a rookie in the team, or Hugo Souza, with Ancelotti anticipating the arrival of the Corinthians number 1 by four days?
Present on the lists of both Carleto and his predecessors Dorival Júnior and Fernando Diniz, Bento (ex-Athletico-PR) was extremely unlucky when he started his only competitive match for Brazil. In Buenos Aires, in March, the team did not see the ball against Argentina, who even without Messi managed a 4-1 victory in the Qualifiers.
Dorival rotated after that rout, and Bento, despite having missed the goal in two of the Argentine goals, remained.
If they think about the World Cup, each goalkeeper must face these two friendlies as if they were already World Cup games. Being on the field, they need to impress the boss, and the best way is by not conceding a goal.
Will Alisson (seven injuries since 2023) and Ederson (eight injuries since 2023) not be able to play in the World Cup?
Between Bento, John and Hugo Souza, one of them will suddenly be the first option. Which? The one that most appeals to Carleto.
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