It has not been a good international break in a Brazil shirt for Newcastle United’s Joelinton.
The 28-year-old was delighted to be recalled to the Brazil squad, with Joelinton winning two more caps for his country.
However, neither appearance went to plan for the Newcastle United midfielder.
Joelinton was criticised after Brazil’s win over Colombia. He gave possession away cheaply to allow Colombia to score, before Vinicius Junior bailed the Selecao out in stoppage time.
Brazil followed that with a 4-1 defeat to Argentina. It was an embarrassing night for the five-time World Cup winners, with Joelinton receiving a 3/10 from the Brazilian media after being named in the starting XI.
Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images
Vinicius Junior slams Brazil teammates
Joelinton was not solely to blame for Brazil’s 4-1 loss to Argentina.
It was a terrible team performance, and Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has told ESPN that his Brazil teammates desperately need to improve ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
“Today we arrive in the locker room and there’s not much to talk about, just thinking about what we did on the field, everyone was very bad, we played badly, and Argentina played an excellent match,” he said.
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“We have to rethink everything we’ve been doing, because the demands will come, the people want us to win. The World Cup is only a year away and I’ve already played in a World Cup and I don’t want to lose again.
“I believe we have to do a lot of different things and take the good things we’ve been doing in the qualifiers to build a squad. Everyone knows how difficult it is to play with this shirt, but we have to improve, keep our heads held high, because we are Brazilians and we never give up. We’re going to qualify for the World Cup and try to do everything we can for our country.”
Newcastle United transfer target scores on disappointing night for Brazil
It was a tough night for Joelinton, who was starting for Brazil for the first time since June 2023.
He was part of a shocking team performance, and it was a display that angered Vinicius.
The only moment of celebration from Brazil came in the 26th minute when Matheus Cunha halved the deficit to make it 2-1.
It was a smart finish from the Wolves attacker, who continues to shine in front of goal.
He has been exceptional in the Premier League this season, which is why Newcastle are interested in signing Cunha.
The 25-year-old is a Toon target ahead of the summer transfer window, but he will cost a lot of money. Cunha’s release clause is £62.5million, which would almost eclipse the £63million that the Magpies spent on Alexander Isak in 2022.
While his performances this season prove that it could be money well spent, his disciplinary issues suggest otherwise. Cunha is celebrating a goal for his country, but is now set to return to a suspension with Wolves.
He was sent off for a clash with Milos Kerkez in the FA Cup on March 1st, which resulted in a three-match ban. The FA then extended his ban by a further game after he admitted a charge of acting in an improper manner.