Speaking from Brazil’s national team camp, Marquinhos revealed the message he delivered to Gabriel following the final. He admitted that seeing Gabriel standing alone after the shootout immediately reminded him of his own difficult moment on the international stage.
“I was ready and prepared to celebrate,” Marquinhos told reporters. “But when I started running, I saw him right in front of me and my team going past him, the same image as after my penalty (miss) in 2022.
“That’s when I started thinking about my (Brazil) teammate, having empathy, because I’ve been through a moment like that and I know the responsibility. I told (Gabriel) to stay strong, to hold his head high because he’d had an incredible season and an incredible match.
“I told him that, in my opinion, he was the best centre-back in the world this season. He simply didn’t deserve to carry that burden because, of course, we all want to score penalties.
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