One day after an interview given unwillingly by a serious Casemiro, irritated by the content of the questions, the atmosphere in the Granja Comary conference room became lighter. Those chosen on Friday (29) to talk about Brazil’s preparation for the World Cup were the smiling Matheus Cunha and Rayan, excited about their first chance to play in the tournament.
If in his third World Cup the 34-year-old midfielder seems bored with some of the responsibilities, the 27-year-old midfielder and the 19-year-old striker see every moment with the eyes of a boy. In the case of Rayan, he is really a boy, who still has little experience as a professional player and a total of 21 minutes on the field wearing the Brazilian team’s shirt.
“It’s about enjoying what I’m experiencing. It’s a moment of happiness for me and my family. I’m a boy who comes from the community and will play in a World Cup at 19 years old. I’m very happy! God willing, we’ll bring hexa to Brazil”, said the young man, raised from Barreira do Vasco, in the north zone of Rio de Janeiro.
After a good season at Vasco da Gama, the boy arrived at Bournemouth, a modest club in the strong English Championship, at the beginning of this year. His performance in England took him into the final friendlies before his call-up. He came on late in the 3-1 victory over Croatia and convinced coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Once called, he presented himself with his jovial face. And he spent part of the first days of concentration flying kites at the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) training center in Teresópolis. “In the last two years, a lot has changed for me. As I said, very happy. It’s about enjoying the moment and doing my best to help Brazil.”
Matheus Cunha is already much more experienced. The attacking midfielder left Brazil at a young age and spent time in Switzerland, Germany and Spain before arriving in England. Today, he is an important part of the traditional Manchester United and also of the national team – he is clearly a starter for Ancelotti, playing as a striker, close to the center forward, or on the left in midfield.
But the native of João Pessoa, like Rayan, still doesn’t have a World Cup on his resume – although he has an Olympic gold medal, obtained in 2021, in Japan. He was called up by Tite in the cycle for the 2022 edition of the World Cup, but was not included in the group taken to Qatar. Therefore, his joy is similar to that of a teenager, with a touch of maturity.
“Honestly, I think there are two Matheus. That child who has no idea of the consequences and only dreams, thinks that everything is easy. And another person after you knows how difficult it is to achieve those dreams. Football is a branch of life. We have our difficulties, but I’m proud of getting to where I am,” he said.
Cunha, of course, wants more.
“The work pays, the focus, all the other positive words you can put together to build your castle. I’m in a pre-World Cup with the chance to fulfill the biggest dream a football player can have. Man, having an Olympic gold and a world champion trophy… I don’t think there’s much more I can ask God for, no.”
