MY ACCOUNT
Bruno Guimaraes is raring to go ahead of the Qatar World Cup, describing making Brazil’s squad as “tremendously emotional”.
The Newcastle United midfielder, one of 12 Premier League players called up by the Selecao, will make his major tournament debut at Qatar 2022 under Tite.
Having switched from Lyon last season to the Magpies, Guimaraes has been sensational in his first nine months as a Premier League player.
However, he was not sure of his inclusion and revealed he was in the dark – as is traditional for Brazil’s prospective players – until he saw his name announced by Tite in a press conference.
“We didn’t know if I would be in the squad,” he told Newcastle’s club media. “Everyone asks this but in Brazil we don’t know, we only find out on the day, watching television like everybody else.
“It was tremendously emotional. I think everyone’s seen the video. It’s traditional in Brazil for all the players to watch the squad announcement before the World Cup. I genuinely didn’t know beforehand.”
While there is plenty of Premier League representation in Brazil’s squad, there was no room for Guimaraes’ Newcastle team-mate Joelinton, who is yet to win a senior cap for his country.
Guimaraes was disappointed to see his fellow midfielder miss out, adding: “I hoped Joelinton would be in the squad with me. He’s a great player, playing really well here at Newcastle.
“He’s a player who has helped me a lot since I arrived. We have a great friendship. I see him as my brother. I’m sad for him, but he’s still young and he’ll have other opportunities to play in other World Cups.
“I don’t think it will affect his career – he knows how to handle it. Of course I’m sad for him, but he can think about the next World Cup and continue doing what he’s been doing as he contributes so much here at Newcastle.”
