Midfielder Lucas Paquetá assessed Brazil’s performance in the 3-0 win over Haiti in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup. In a press conference held this Sunday (21) at The Ridge hotel in New Jersey, United States, he said the victory is an opportunity for the team to keep improving in the tournament.
“I think we played a good game, in line with our expectation of improving our technical quality and our play on the ball. We managed to build what we see as a good win, and it’s a game that gives us confidence to keep growing,” said the Brazil international.
Paquetá also looked ahead to the match against Scotland next Wednesday (24) at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) at Hard Rock Stadium in the third round. He emphasized respect for the opponent and reaffirmed the team’s commitment to winning the match.
“Not only Scotland, but every team in the World Cup deserves respect, study, and preparation before facing them. We have a lot of respect for our opponent, but we know we have to put our game into practice and do what the coach asks of us so that, regardless of the opponent, we can achieve our objective in each game, which is to win,” said the 28-year-old player.
Lucas Paquetá during a press conference for the Brazil national team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiri/CBF
Against the Scots, who in this World Cup defeated Haiti 1-0 and lost to Morocco by the same score, Brazil will be looking for a win to secure first place in the group.
“Our objective is to finish first, and we’re working toward that. It’s logistics that help with travel, rest time, and recovery. It’s one of our goals, and we’ll go after it,” he stressed.
friendship with vini jr.
The player mentioned the importance of Vinícius Jr., with whom he played in Flamengo’s youth ranks and built a friendship off the field, for Brazil at the start of this World Cup. They were important in the win over Haiti and combined for the third goal. Paquetá provided the assist for the No. 7 to score his second goal of the tournament.
“We have a very beautiful friendship that goes back a long time. I saw him when he was very young, and we created this bond back in our Flamengo days. We’re very happy to be together. He’s a guy I admire a lot and have enormous respect for. Living through another World Cup together with the national team is incredibly special for us,” he celebrated.
Lucas Paquetá during a press conference for the Brazil national team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
neymar’s return
Brazil’s No. 20 also spoke about the importance of forward Neymar Jr. to the group. According to Paquetá, the No. 10 has an important role in the squad and can help Brazil in the rest of the tournament.
“We’re all very happy about his return. Getting back to training and being back on the field with all of us is very important. He’s an extremely important player for our national team, someone who has a beautiful history here and who can still help us a lot. We’re happy for him and for his return. We hope he can be back on the field as soon as possible, helping us,” said the midfielder.
Lucas Paquetá during a press conference for the Brazil national team in New JerseyCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
Raphinha injured
Lucas Paquetá commented on Raphinha’s injury, expressing his support and saying he believes his teammate will recover quickly. The forward suffered a muscle injury in the back of his right thigh in the win over Haiti and has already begun intensive treatment aimed at recovering and returning to action as soon as possible.
“We were all sad, especially Rapha, because of this small setback. He has all of our support, and we’re by his side at this moment. We hope he can recover as soon as possible, and we’re available to help him with whatever he needs,” he said.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
