Goalkeeper Alisson, in his third consecutive appearance as a starter for the Brazilian team in World Cups, achieved a remarkable feat. After Brazil’s 3-0 victory against Scotland, he equaled Júlio César as the third archer with the most appearances for the team in World Cups, totaling 12 games. Historically, only Taffarel, Gilmar and Emerson Leão surpass him in this ranking.
With 18 games played, Taffarel, who defended the Brazilian goal in the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups, maintains an unreachable distance for Alisson in this edition of the tournament, considering that there are five games left before the decision. However, Canarinho’s current number 1 has the chance to overtake Gilmar, two-time champion in 1958 and 1962, and Emerson Leão, who participated in 1970, 1978 and 1986, both with 14 matches, to consolidate himself in second place.
Alisson’s presence as a starter in his third consecutive World Cup sparked debate among Brazilian fans, adding a layer of pressure. Although recognized globally as one of the best goalkeepers, his participation in the quarter-final eliminations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, even without direct failures on the field, marked public perception, making his current performance a crucial point for the team.
“Fans yearn for titles. I experienced this feeling when winning a Copa América, but nothing compares to winning a World Cup with the Brazilian team. The criticism, I believe, arises precisely because we have not achieved success on other occasions. However, no one will criticize me more than myself”, reflected Alisson in a statement made before the start of this World Cup.
Since the start of the competition, the goalkeeper has played in three matches, conceding just one goal in the debut match, due to a collective defensive failure, and making a minimum of six highly complex saves. In the match against Morocco, he was decisive in preventing a goal that would have resulted in defeat just a few minutes before the final whistle. Against Haiti, Alisson made two crucial interventions in the second half, and in the final round of the first phase, against Scotland, the archer shone with three important saves.