From tears to extreme happiness in Qatar 2022: Richarlison scores a brace in his first World Cup match

“Even walking hurts me”were the words of richarlison on October 15, 2022. This after leaving the field of play in the match between Tottenham and Everton, corresponding to matchday 11 of the Premier League. An injury to the left calf seemed to leave him far from the World Cup Qatar 2022. Or that was at least what was believed until minutes after the crash ended. He himself felt that this family ailment could ruin the plans for him to play in his first World Cup tournament. Which is why he shed a few tears as he left Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches.

Three days after that tragic event, the ‘Spurs’ announced that it was only a muscle injury, whose recovery time would be a maximum of two weeks. This news made the 25-year-old end smile back, who knew that he would arrive with just enough to the tournament on Qatari soil. He continued to prepare hard to be considered in Tité’s eleven, an objective that he achieved in the first game against Serbia.

An hour of play had elapsed and the ‘Canarinha’ couldn’t beat Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s goal. The five-time world champion expected one of his stars to rub the lamp to break the zero. It was not Neymar, nor Vinicius Junior. The one who put on the cape was Richarlison, taking advantage of a rebound left by the Serbian goalkeeper, after a shot from ‘Vini’. Euphoria was unleashed among the 88,000 spectators (the vast majority of them fans of Brazil) who gathered at the Lusail Stadium. The laughter and the characteristic dance were not lacking in the celebration.

Thus, the man born in Nova Venecia made his debut in a World Cup with a goal. But, the function of exEverton was just beginning. At 73 ‘, Vinicius generated the imbalance on the left. With a brazenness known only to him, he unsheathed a perfect three-fingered pass to Richarlison. He stopped it in the air from the left and took out an impressive ‘chalaca’, worthy to turn off the state lights and finish the show.