Brazil prepare to face Uruguay with reinforcements and expectations of a fierce game

The Brazilian national team arrived in Montevideo to continue their preparations for the South American qualifier against Uruguay for the 2026 World Cup. Tottenham centre-back Emerson Royal joined the group as a replacement for Danilo, who was injured in the game against Venezuela. In their first training session at the Estadio Campeón del Siglo, Rodrygo and Yan Couto spoke to the press. Rodrygo said that he expects a hard-fought game against Uruguay, as no team plays openly against Brazil. He stressed the importance of minimising mistakes in order to perform well. The player also mentioned the pressure of defending the national team, which didn't finish first in the Qualifiers for a long time. Regarding the incident in which Neymar was hit by a bag of popcorn after the game against Venezuela, Rodrygo said that it was an isolated case and that it doesn't represent the Brazilian fans.

Yan Couto could start at right-back

Yan Couto, 21, is looking forward to starting at right-back in his second cap for Brazil. The Girona player came on against Venezuela after Danilo's injury and made a good impression. He is now competing with Emerson Royal, who has just joined the national team. Yan Couto said that he is willing to follow Fernando Diniz's instructions and that he likes to play in attack. He emphasised the importance of communicating with the forwards in order to have a good rapport on the pitch.