Richarlison‘s current situation isn’t ideal, not only because Tottenham Hotspur is going through a tough stretch, sitting in the relegation zone, but also because his spot on the Brazilian national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is in doubt.
Despite this, the forward remains hopeful and has already made a striking promise should he be called up by Carlo Ancelotti.
Richarlison and his intriguing promise ahead of the 2026 World Cup
The 28-year-old Brazilian player was part of the squad for the last World Cup, held in Qatar, and saw action in four of the five matches the Canarinha played. Now, he is aiming for his second World Cup appearance and has shown he is willing to do whatever it takes to earn a spot on Carletto’s roster.
After not being called up by the coach for the two March friendlies against France and Croatia, Richarlison hasn’t lost hope. In an interview with France Football (via Olé), he made a striking promise, an idea suggested by Casemiro:
If I play in the next World Cup, I’ll leave my phone at home.
This decision comes after social media played a dirty trick on him during the 2022 World Cup, and he was aware of situations that affected his performance in the tournament. For this reason, he wants to keep distractions and problems off his radar:
“I had to deal with family and personal issues that affected my concentration,” he admitted.
The midfielder has played 54 matches for the Canarinha: 24 friendlies, 16 in South American World Cup qualifiers, 10 in the Copa América, and four in World Cups. He has scored 20 goals (three of them in the World Cup) and provided eight assists. Additionally, he has scored 10 goals in 37 matches for Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti is set to announce the final World Cup roster on May 18, with another of his stars, Neymar, also in doubt.
With the clear goal of winning his sixth World Cup title and despite current doubts, Richarlison still dreams of being part of the squad traveling to the United States, Mexico, and Canada to live the World Cup dream once again.
In this edition, Brazil will be in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. They will make their debut against Morocco on Saturday, June 13, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They will then face Haiti on Friday, June 19, at Soldier Field in Philadelphia, and on Wednesday, June 24, they will play against Scotland at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
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