João Pedro chooses Chelsea teammate who would shine in the Brazilian team
Out of Carlo Ancelotti's final squad for the 2026 World Cup, João Pedro did not lose sight of the Brazilian team. In an interview with English football idol Rio Ferdinand's podcast, the Brazilian pointed out which of his teammates would be the ideal name to wear Hopscotch: Cole Palmer.
"He's very intelligent. He's magical", praises the young man revealed by Fluminense, who has already scored 15 goals in the 35 games in which he wore the Blues shirt.
"I told him: 'I didn't think you were that good'. Now that I play with him, he's different," he says. "I told him, 'why don't you come to Brazil? Be number 10, man, no problem', because in Brazil we don't have a player like that." Palmer will also not be at the World Cup this year.
"If you watch us, you'll see that we play in a 4-2-4. We don't have a number 10", he explains.
In the World Cup, Neymar is the one who should wear the number 10 shirt for the Brazilian team, but the player, who owned the number in 2014, 2018 and 2018, plays a different role on the field, more like a second striker than a classic midfielder.
Since he was no longer called up, both Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo have taken turns wearing the number 10 shirt, but in a recent interview with CazéTV, Vini signaled that the Peixe star should wear the number again.
Relationship with Carlo Ancelotti
João Pedro was on three of Ancelotti's five lists, but contact with the Italian coach allows him to explain his philosophy to the historic defender of the English national team and Manchester United.
"He says he doesn't want a specific player. He wants the group. He thinks the group has more strength than a player alone", he says.
"I think with him around, when he talks, people listen, because he's won everything. He tries to build a relationship with all the players. He tells you what to do, but also gives you the freedom to play your football, have fun. I think he's good for the team."
Bet on Vini Jr and bold guess
Chelsea's best player of the season is betting on Vinícius Júnior as Brazil's main name in the World Cup.
"Vinícius is going to be the guy. But, for Vinícius to be the guy, he needs the team (...) The group needs to have the same vision, think in the same way", he assesses.
The Brazilian even made a prediction: "We're going to beat England in the quarter-finals", he joked with the presenter.
Source: CNN