After Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal was selected for his country’s World Cup squad on Monday evening, Brazil superstar Neymar was unable to contain his shock.
Selecao boss Tite announced his 26-man selection during the week for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
Neymar was included following his exhilarating performances for French giants Paris Saint-Germain this season. The 30-year-old will be attending the third World Cup of his career having also been selected for the tournaments in Brazil and Russia.
Whilst he is certainly one of the usual candidates, he has been joined by a young attacking colleague in the form of Arsenal forward Martinelli after his positive showings for the Gunners this term.
Despite Martinelli’s displays for Mikel Arteta ’s men, Neymar struggled to shield his surprise during the squad announcement.
Gabriel Martinelli is going to his first World Cup 🇧🇷
Well deserved 👏 pic.twitter.com/daUvWdJ7bD
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 7, 2022
In footage shared on the former Barcelona man’s Instagram, he is shown sat listening to the squad list as names such as Antony and Gabriel Jesus are read out.
As soon as Martinelli’s name was mentioned, Neymar immediately showed a look of surprise with his eyes widening and his eyebrows raising.
Neymar’s own name was then read out, leading him to break into a small celebration.
Why Was Martinelli Included In The Brazil Squad?
Following the announcement, Tite explained exactly why he elected to name Martinelli in his squad and was highly complimentary of his abilities.
“We like Martinelli’s aggressiveness. He’s one of the top players at Arsenal, the first placed team in the Premier League,” the Brazil boss said.
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“He’s good in one-v-ones, he’s very rapid in transitions and he’s been playing at a consistently good level.”
Martinelli, already a three-time Brazil international, has five goals and two assists in 18 appearances in all competitions.
He will be hopeful of adding to that record during the final two Gunners’ fixtures ahead of the tournament.
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