00:05When you think of Brazilian football, it's natural to cast your mind towards the artists
00:11that made the Celestão synonymous with o jogo bonito, the beautiful game.
00:18The genius of Pelé and Ronaldinho, or the artistry of Gorincha and Ronaldo.
00:26No other country in the world has such attacking pedigree.
00:31But heading into the 2026 World Cup, arguably the most important figure in Canary Yellow
00:37will be a central defender, Marquinhos.
00:42The Paris Saint-Germain stalwart will be the only Brazilian with over 100 caps to his name
00:48guaranteed a place in Carlo Ancelotti's squad.
00:51And his experience and leadership will be vital if Brazil are to recover from a shaky
00:56qualification campaign to end the longest title drought in the country's history.
01:04Marquinhos will take the field among the most highly regarded defenders in the game, renowned
01:09for his aggression and fortitude without the ball and composure with it.
01:15His astute reading of the game was honed coming through the ranks at Corinthians.
01:20Roma first brought him to Europe, but it wasn't until he landed in Paris in 2013
01:26that the player we recognise today blossomed.
01:30He is now PSG's all-time appearance record holder.
01:34An achievement capped by lifting the club's maiden UEFA Champions League title in 2025.
01:43My feelings today are the same as those of all Parisian fans.
01:47They've been through a lot with me, even before me. And I am as proud as I could be. Behind
01:52it all,
01:52I saw my team running. Winning the match the way we won it made me proud. I haven't forgotten the
01:57people who came before me. Legends, great players, who also deserve to win this trophy. They didn't win it,
02:04they left. Today, being captain of this team that won for the first time is an honour for me,
02:10one that I will always carry with me and in my heart.
02:162025 represented the third time Marquinhos was named in the Champions League team of the season,
02:21and the sixth in the Ligue 1 best 11.
02:26It's our beautiful baby now. It's finally arrived in Paris. I've waited 12 years. PSG have waited even
02:33longer. It's a delight. Thank you so much. The South American, dominant in Europe,
02:40now has another continent in his sights. American culture is passionate about sport,
02:47passionate about the entertainment that sport brings as well. So it's always wonderful to play
02:52there. When I went there with the national team, as well as with Paris Saint-Germain during our pre-season
03:01there, we saw so many fans. We've seen many fans from around the world go there to watch our team,
03:07to watch the sport. We can tell that sport is also a big thing in the US. So the tournament
03:13will
03:13definitely have a positive impact on the country and on us as a club.
03:19If Marquinhos is to add international glory to his success at club level, it will rely on the ability of
03:25Italian Carlo Ancelotti to mould a competitive squad in a short space of time.
03:34Our coach, the one we have here today, has already demonstrated his strength, ability and footballing
03:39intelligence. That's really what the national team was looking for a year out from a World Cup.
03:48We at PSG have already seen that things can change quickly. In a dynamic situation, you can change
03:55the energy. You can create something in a very short space of time. So I hope that happens here,
04:01with the Brazilian national team too. With the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rafinha and Estevão
04:12Willian, there will be no shortage of brilliant Brazilian attackers on display in North America.
04:18But behind them, holding it all together, will be the redoubtable Marquinhos.
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