Brazil’s national team manager Dorival Junior has already selected his squad for this summer’s Copa America, and as expected Alisson Becker is in the squad. It will be the goalkeeper’s first meeting with the new national team manager, who took over in March. Alisson was injured during the previous meeting.
There are some surprises in the squad, and players like Casemiro, Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus have been scrapped. Alisson will also not be joined by his former Liverpool teammates Roberto Firmino and Fabinho.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is in the squad, and it will be exciting to see who Dorival Junior prefers when the group stage kicks off in June.
Copa America will be played in the USA from 20 June to 14 July – at the same time as the EC in Germany. New this year is that the nations from North America are invited in addition to those from the south. Host nation USA is in, as are Mexico, Jamaica, Panama, Canada and Costa Rica. A total of 16 teams are participating in the tournament.
For Alisson, it will probably be a red duel already in the group stage, where Brazil will face Colombia. Luis Diaz is a sure thing in the squad if he stays injury-free. Brazil are big favorites in the group that also includes Paraguay and Costa Rica. Brazil will play its group stage matches in California and Nevada.
Darwin Nunez and Alexis MacAllister are also likely to feature for Uruguay and Argentina respectively. Argentina are reigning champions after beating Brazil in the final in 2021 – the year before they won the World Cup in Qatar. This will be Mac Allister’s first participation in the Copa America – given that he remains injury-free until the tournament begins.
