00:07When you think of Brazilian football, it's natural to cast your mind towards the artists
00:13that made the CelestĂŁo synonymous with o jogo bonito, the beautiful game.
00:20The genius of Pelé and Ronaldinho, or the artistry of Guerincha and Ronaldo.
00:28No other country in the world has such attacking pedigree.
00:33But heading into the 2026 World Cup, arguably the most important figure in Canary Yellow
00:39will be a central defender, Marquinhos.
00:44The Paris Saint-Germain stalwart will be the only Brazilian with over 100 caps to his name
00:50guaranteed a place in Carlo Ancelotti's squad.
00:53And his experience and leadership will be vital if Brazil are to recover from a shaky qualification campaign
01:00to end the longest title drought in the country's history.
01:06Marquinhos will take the field among the most highly regarded defenders in the game,
01:10renowned for his aggression and fortitude without the ball and composure with it.
01:17His astute reading of the game was honed coming through the ranks at Corinthians.
01:22Roma first brought him to Europe, but it wasn't until he landed in Paris in 2013
01:28that the player we recognize today blossomed.
01:32He is now PSG's all-time appearance record holder, an achievement capped by lifting the club's
01:38maiden UEFA Champions League title in 2025.
01:45My feelings today are the same as those of all Parisian fans.
01:49They've been through a lot with me, even before me. And I am as proud as I could be. Behind
01:54it all,
01:54I saw my team running. Winning the match the way we won it made me proud. I haven't forgotten the
01:59people
02:00who came before me. Legends, great players who also deserved to win this trophy. They didn't win it,
02:06they left. Today, being captain of this team that won for the first time is an honor for me,
02:12one that I will always carry with me and in my heart.
02:182025 represented the third time Marquinhos was named in the Champions League team of the season,
02:23and the sixth in the Ligue 1 best 11.
02:28It's our beautiful baby now. It's finally arrived in Paris. I've waited 12 years. PSG have waited even
02:35longer. It's a delight. Thank you so much. The South American, dominant in Europe,
02:42now has another continent in his sights. American culture is passionate about sport,
02:49passionate about the entertainment that sport brings as well. So it's always wonderful to play
02:54there. When I went there with the national team, as well as with Paris Saint-Germain during our pre-season
03:03there, we saw so many fans. We've seen many fans from around the world go there to watch our team,
03:09to watch the sport. We can tell that sport is also a big thing in the US. So the tournament
03:15will
03:15definitely have a positive impact on the country and on us as a club.
03:21If Marquinhos is to add international glory to his success at club level, it will rely on the ability of
03:27Italian Carlo Ancelotti to mould a competitive squad in a short space of time.
03:36Our coach, the one we have here today, has already demonstrated his strength, ability and footballing
03:41intelligence. That's really what the national team was looking for a year out from a World Cup.
03:51We at PSG have already seen that things can change quickly. In a dynamic situation,
03:56you can change the energy. You can create something in a very short space of time.
04:02So I hope that happens here with the Brazilian national team too.
04:10With the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rafinha and EstevĂŁo Willian,
04:15there will be no shortage of brilliant Brazilian attackers on display in North America.
04:20But behind them, holding it all together, will be the redoubtable Marquinhos.
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