Brazil’s top scorer in the opening match of the Qatar Cup, scoring both goals in the game against Serbia, Richarlison de Andrade, 25, left the country five years ago, when he was a standout for Fluminense, heading to England, where his career grew gradually.
Before arriving this year at Tottenham, one of the big clubs in London and whose star is Harry Kane (the England captain), he defended the small Watford and Everton.
His good football, even at an average club, earned calls, from 2018, to the Brazilian national team. Before, in 2017, he defended the under-20 team in the South American of Ecuador, scoring two goals.
Born in Nova Venécia (ES), Richarlison began to stand out at Real Noroeste, in the city of Águia Branca, at the age of 16. He caught the attention of América-MG, who signed him in 2014. In 2016, he was in football in Rio de Janeiro, at Fluminense.
A 1.84m-tall striker who mixes race, technique and speed, Richarlison plays well both on the sides of the field (he works in clubs) and centrally – he is the current striker for the national team, wearing the number 9 shirt of the person who almost always occupies this role.
The player is also known for his political side, with a more left-wing position, and social side.
In an interview in 2020, when he was serving for the Brazilian national team, he stated that “when I have an important cause, I will always show my face, even more so playing for the national team and in England.
When British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenist Bruno Pereira were missing in the Amazon, Richarlison spoke on social media: “I ask the authorities, please, to act urgently and do everything possible to find Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira! “.
Dom and Bruno, investigations later concluded, were murdered in the Javari Valley, in western Amazonas.
Also in 2020, Richarlison became an ambassador for USP Vida, a program aimed at individuals and companies who are interested in donating to research and actions that the São Paulo university develops in the fight against Covid.
In football, the athlete’s main titles are with the national team, since in European football he is only now in a competitive team.
He was champion of the 2019 Copa América, scoring the third goal in the decision against Peru (3-1), at Maracanã, from the penalty spot, and won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, last year, when he scored five goals and was the top scorer in the second championship campaign.
Richarlison is nicknamed Pombo because in 2018, playing with friends, he choreographed the song “Dança do Pombo”, by MC Faísca e Perseguidores.
He was not bothered by the nickname and even perpetuated it, celebrating goals by moving his chest in order to imitate the movement of a bird’s chest, to the joy of the kids.
Richarlison was in danger of missing the World Cup with a calf injury in October that sidelined him for three weeks.
Tite was confident in his recovery and included him in the 26-man squad to go to Qatar in search of his sixth championship.
“A few weeks ago, I was crying, in doubt of yet to come [para a Copa]🇧🇷 So, I think it was worth all the effort in my recovery. God saw my effort, he saw how much I wanted to come to the World Cup”, declared Richarlison after the victory against Serbia.
In shape, he is already one of the top scorers at the World Cup and will try to score more goals – he has 19 in 39 games for the national team – on Monday (28), when Brazil returns to play in Group G, against Switzerland.
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