Murillo has hardly put a foot wrong since joining Nottingham Forest from Brazilian side Corinthians in August 2023.
The defender has been a cornerstone of the Reds’ dramatic revival under Nuno Espirito Santo, attracting plenty of attention from rival Premier League clubs reportedly keen on paying for his services.
And with Forest in the top three and pushing for Champions League qualification, it was only a matter of time before the centre-half won international recognition.
The call finally came for the São Paulo-born 22-year-old this week, but it is likely to be an honour the Forest man will want to quickly forget.
After being first called into the squad last November, Murillo was on the bench for Brazil’s 2-1 World Cup qualifying win over Colombia last week and made his international debut against Argentina overnight.
But it proved to be a baptism of fire for the Forest star, Brazil losing 4-1 to their great rivals in Buenos Aires and Murillo being hooked at half-time with his side already 3-1 down.
“I have broadcast on the Brazilian national team for over 40 years. I have never seen the national team play so badly,” veteran broadcaster Galvão Bueno declared before calling for the head of national coach Dorival Júnior after Brazil's heaviest defeat in a World Cup qualifier.
The local media were hardly any kinder to Murillo himself, Goal handing him a 5/10 in their ratings before adding: “Decent first half, but hooked at half-time for Flamengo’s Léo Ortiz as it was obvious Dorival did not like the pairing (with PSG star and Brazil captain Marquinhos).”
It got worse with Globo Esporte , who labelled Murillo as “very bad” and rated him a 3/10 after he was involved in all three goals Brazil conceded in the first half. Argentine newspaper Ole gave him just a 2/10.
The result leaves Brazil fourth in the South American World Cup qualifying standings on 21 points after 14 matches, still on course for automatic qualification but with little margin for further night’s like Tuesday.
As for Murillo, he will be hoping for some consolation by helping Forest get to Wembley when they play Brighton for a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday (5.15pm).
Who is your Forest player of the season? Click HERE to join the debate
Get your special Nottingham Forest in Europe souvenir edition
We have produced a special 48-page edition of the Nottingham Post celebrating the club’s two European Cup wins.
Nottingham Forest are flying high in the Premier League and Reds fans are dreaming of a return to European competition. It has been an outstanding campaign for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, who are on course for a place in the Champions League next season. And Forest supporters can whet their appetite for a possible return to football’s top tier on the continent with our 48-page special edition celebrating the club’s two European Cup wins.
undefined
Buy now and have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents in Nottinghamshire from April, 2 2025.
For online order postage and packaging applies, orders will be posted from April 2, 2025.
Get breaking Forest news sent direct to your phone
Join our Nottingham Forest WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from the NottinghamshireLive Reds writers.
We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Reds stories. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you are curious, you can click here to read our Privacy Notice.