World Cup in Qatar – Brazil: But why is Dani Alves still there?

It’s one more record in his bag. One more, you will tell us. At 39, Daniel Alves will become, at the next World Cup in Qatar (November 20 – December 18), the oldest Brazilian player to play in a World Cup. The former side of Barça and PSG will thus overtake a certain Djalma Santos, summoned to the 1996 World Cup at 37 years old.

A pride for the most successful man in the history of football (40 trophies), called by his coach Tite earlier this week to fly to the Arabian Peninsula. A surprise to many, but certainly not to the interested party. “I’m still here after so much effort,” he said, moved, in a video posted on Instagram shortly after the announcement of the Brazilian list. While many have lost sight of him, his coach has always held his player in high esteem.

“Daniel Alves’ criteria are the same criteria for everyone. They reward the individual technical quality, the physical aspect and the mental aspect. Just like other players. Some with one or the other quality in addition“, justified Tite to the local media, who did not hesitate to criticize his decision to recall Dani Alves, now at UNAM Pumas (Mexico) but who has not played since September 24. This It will therefore be a month exactly at the time of the Seleção’s first match at the World Cup against Serbia, scheduled for November 24 at 8 p.m. But what does it matter for Tite, who has always praised the great “experience” from his side, winner of the gold medal with his selection at the time of the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer of 2021.

“I did not come here to please people who are on Twitter, on social networks, who express themselves therereacted the Brazilian coach to criticism from his supporters. It’s an audience of which I don’t know what percentage of the Brazilian people it represents. I respect differing opinions. I’m not here to convince everyone. I do not have this claim. I do not want it. I just want to bring informative, truthful data, so people can do their own analysis and form their own opinion..”

However, legitimate doubts remain. How fit will Dani Alves be in the competition? Will he still be able to respond at a very high level? After a more than mixed experience at Sao Paulo FC between 2019 and 2021 and a surprise return to Barça for a few months, Alves did not want to hang up his boots despite some warning signs. Feeling “still at the level“, he preferred to try the Mexican adventure, where he played 12 matches (1,080 minutes) for 4 assists. Enough to convince Tite to take him in his suitcases for Qatar.

“As Brazil plays with wingers, our full-backs will not play on the wing, confided the latter at a press conference, always to justify the presence of Dani Alves in his list. They will not be attacking full-backs. We will have full-backs who will participate in the construction of the game. And the technical quality that Daniel Alves brings to the team in this respect is impressive. He has the technical quality to participate in the construction, to be a playmaker. He will not be a player who will do 70 meters forward, 70 meters behindTo maintain himself physically and despite a recent knee injury, Alves has been training with Barca’s B team for the past few weeks.

Near the Ney

If the Brazilian coach therefore assured that this summons was based solely on sporting criteria, the emotional ones were however taken into account. Respected and appreciated by his comrades, the atmosphere of the locker room, Dani Alves is the teammate that everyone would dream of having. Better, the man with 124 caps (8 goals) will not even flinch when sitting on the bench, well aware of being “only” the double of Danilo (Juventus). Close to Neymar, whom he frequented at Barça and PSG, the native of Juazeiro could also be a real plus in the adventure of the Parisian star.

When the Ney was criticized at home, Alves always came to his aid to defend him. “Neymar is totally underrated. In our country, being successful seems to be a crime, he lamented on the FIFA website last year (…) If he was from another country, doing everything he does, breaking the records he has, the Brazilians would value him much, much more (…) Neymar brings down the soccer loving kids.” A speech much appreciated by the Parisian who, from November 24, will take on the role of technical leader of his team. An enormous pressure that he will then be able to channel and manage with one of his most faithful friends.

Dani Alves had played the friendlies against South Korea (5-1) and Japan (1-0) in June, but had not been called up for the last two preparation meetings, played in France, against Ghana (3-0) and Tunisia (5-1). Today, he is about to play his third and last World Cup. With the dream of bringing her home and thus adding a new line to her charts. It would undoubtedly be the most beautiful.