Flamengo defender, Léo Pereira commented for the first time about his call-up for the World Cup. The red-and-black defender was one of those chosen by coach Carlo Ancelotti to defend the Brazilian team in the World Cup held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
In an interview after , this Wednesday (20), the player opened his heart and dedicated the call-up to his family, his teammates and the club. Furthermore, he stated that he had fulfilled a childhood dream.
“Very happy. I owe a lot of this to my family, to my teammates, who are involved in my daily life, to the club, which gives me full support for my work. It’s a dream come true, a childhood dream, but I’m still committed to playing very important games” – said the player.
Afterwards, the defender revealed that, at a certain point in his career, he even doubted the possibility of establishing himself as Flamengo’s starter. Given this, Léo once again showed gratitude for the opportunity to defend the Brazilian team.
“If I could write this script, at some point in my career, it was unlikely that I would even be a starter at Flamengo. The way the process was, the way things happened in my career, it’s very difficult to explain. I’m very grateful for every opportunity.”
Road to the World Cup
Léo Pereira began his football career playing for Athletico-PR. Along the way, he also passed through Guaratinguetá and Náutico, in addition to having had an experience in football in the United States, where he played for Orlando City. The defender was signed permanently by Flamengo in 2020.
Since then, he has established himself as a starter for the Red and Black team. In total, he played 303 matches, with 18 goals scored and five assists.
Léo Pereira received his first opportunity with the Italian coach in the Brazilian team’s most recent friendlies. Starting against strong European teams, the defender pleased the coaching staff. His debut for Amarelinha came in the 2-1 defeat to France. Afterwards, he also played in Brazil’s 3-1 victory over Croatia.
