Brazil star Richarlison posts emotional message after scoring brace vs Serbia in FIFA World Cup opener 

Brazil striker Richarlison has posted a heartwarming message on Twitter following his stunning brace against Serbia at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, thanking football for fulfilling his childhood dream.

Tite picked Richarlison to lead Brazil’s attack in the Group G opener against Serbia at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Thursday night (24 November). The Tottenham Hotspur striker endured a quiet first half but came to life in the second 45, scoring two goals in quick succession to guide Brazil to a 2-0 win.

In the 62nd minute, he found himself in the right place at the right time to tuck away Vinicius Junior’s rebound. Eleven minutes later, Vinicius Junior found Richarlison in space inside the Serbian box, and the Spurs star put his young teammate’s delivery away with a world-class scissor kick. He lifted the ball up with his left foot before swiveling and dispatching a volley with his right, giving the keeper no chance whatsoever.

After his stunning performance, Richarlison took to social media to express his thoughts, calling his perfect FIFA World Cup debut a dream come true.

Translated, his post read:

“Child's dream come true 🇧🇷💚💛💙

Thanks for so much football!”

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Brazil striker Richarlison justifies Tite’s FIFA World Cup call-up

Questions were raised when Tite included struggling Tottenham Hotspur star Richarlison ahead of Liverpool’s in-form striker Roberto Firmino in his 26-man FIFA World Cup squad. On Thursday night, Richarlison showed why Tite was right to do so.

Firmino’s link-up play is considerably superior to Richarlison’s. The Liverpool man links up superbly with teammates and is capable of creating goalscoring chances at will. His qualities are essential to the Reds, as they do not have as many creative geniuses on the team.

Brazil, on the other hand, have no shortage of creators, with the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and Lucas Paqueta all adept at picking out the right pass. The Selecao need a goalscorer who can finish off difficult chances and is the quickest to react inside the opposition box.

Richarlison demonstrated both his poaching ability and world-class technique in Brazil’s 2022 FIFA World Cup opener, showing why Tite overlooked his lackluster club form.

In 10 Premier League appearances, Richarlison has only claimed three assists, failing to score even once. Firmino, on the other hand, has scored seven times and provided three assists in 13 league matches for the Reds.