“Sometimes boys should watch girls play to learn”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silvahopes that women’s football in Brazil stand up and repeat what the men did, five-time world champions, when this Saturday bid farewell to the Brazil team that travels to Australia on Monday to play the world girl of 2023.

“I hope that in a few years the women’s team will leave the United States, Germany and Canada… and it can repeat what the men’s team has done,” the progressive leader said during a visit to the team’s training in Mané stadium. Garrincha from Brasilia to prepare for Sunday’s friendly with Chile.

Lula affirmed that Brazilian soccer players can still hope and give Brazil a title that has eluded the men’s team since the 2002 World Cup. “There are times when men should watch women play to learn, especially from women.” desire and willingness to play and take the profession seriously,” he added.

Lula, a well-known fan, said she was a “fan of the growth of women’s soccer” and “dreamed that one day women’s soccer would fill stadiums like men’s.” He admits that it will still require a lot of outreach and convincing work for society to recognize the value of women’s football, as well as investments, such as those that have achieved the same recognition for women’s volleyball in Brazil as men’s.

The head of state insisted that he was a witness to the fact that women’s soccer has developed in Brazil and celebrated the decision of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation to force all professional teams with a men’s team to also have a team of women. “They are getting a lot of space and soon Brazil will recognize women’s soccer as a great sport in the country. Women’s volleyball has already achieved this. And in soccer it has to be like that,” he said.

“I want to wish them that they have in Australia the possibility of realizing a dream that is to win a World Cup for Brazil. We already tried several times and it didn’t work out. But that’s life, no. win when you want but when we are ready,” he said.

Emotional hugs to Pia Sundhage and Marta

Lula, who warmly greeted the coach of the national team, the Swedish Pia Sundhage, and the attacker Marta, six times selected as the best in the world by FIFA and who will play in her sixth World Cup, attended the training session accompanied by his wife, Janja, and some of its ministers, such as Sports, Ana Moser, Racial Equality, Aniele Franco, and Women, Cida Gonçalves.

Both Lula and Janja received personalized shirts from CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, as well as one of the unprecedented black shirts, emblazoned with the name of Vinicius Júnior, which Brazil wore in a friendly last month as a protest against racism in football.

Brazil will go to the Women’s World Cup starting July 20 in Australia and New Zealand led by two of its three top scorers: Marta, author of 119 goals (17 in World Cups), and Debinha, who has 57 purpose.