Speaking to reporters after the trophy presentation, Marquinhos revealed that his actions were driven by personal experience. The 32-year-old famously missed a penalty for Brazil in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against Croatia, and those memories came flooding back as he watched Gabriel struggle.
"As soon as he missed that penalty, I remembered what it felt like for me when I missed against Croatia to knock us out of the last World Cup," Marquinhos said.
"It was a very difficult moment for him, a big responsibility. I've been through it myself and know how tough it is when that happens to you as a player. You have to be very strong to get out of a moment like that - and I know how hard that is. Gabriel really wanted to win this title and had all that pressure on him, knowing that if he missed, that dream had gone for him and we would be the champions."