• World Cup 2022

Pele singles out Brazil star for praise despite World Cup exit

Pele
Getty Images
Advertisement

An unexpected defeat against Croatia shattered Selecao’s World Cup dreams.

Brazil legend Pele has paid tribute to Richarlison after Selecao’s elimination from the World Cup.

Richarlison scored three goals for Brazil as they reached the quarter-finals. Tite started the Tottenham star in his side’s match against Croatia on Saturday.

But the Checkered Ones’ brilliant defensive display prevented him from finding the back of the net. Brazil were then eliminated in the penalties to crash out of the tournament.

However, that hasn’t stopped Pele from paying tribute to Selecao’s No.9.

“Just keep on keeping on kid,” he wrote underneath the former Everton star’s Instagram post. “And never change. You made Brazil smile.”

Private Internet Access
Advertisement

Following the Croatia defeat, Richarlison expressed his disappointment with a post on social media.

 “Writing this is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he wrote. “This is a wound that will stay open forever, because we all know the chances we had to get that title.

“My friends and I are going to have to live with it. Some (or many) won’t even get another chance. Now it’s time to lick our wounds, apologise to all of you and get our head straight.”

Brazil manager Tite quit the national team after the World Cup exit, while Neymar and Thiago Silva have admitted they might do the same in the near future.

x