Igor Thiago says wearing the Brazil shirt is “the greatest achievement” of his life, with the Brentford forward also naming Ronaldo as his inspiration and calling for Brazil to play with more aggression and belief.
Igor Thiago has described his first senior Brazil call-up as “the greatest achievement” of his life, with the Brentford forward using his latest press conference to speak about pride, inspiration and what he believes Brazil still need to improve before the World Cup. Globo’s interview came after Thiago made his senior debut in Brazil's 2-1 defeat to France, having come on in the second half, and ahead of the side’s next friendly against Croatia.
“The greatest achievement of my life is being able to wear this shirt, to see my name on the national team jersey,” Thiago said. “It’s something I only ever dreamed of and thank God it’s become reality.”
That sense of occasion ran through much of his answer. Rather than treating the call-up as a simple career milestone, Thiago spoke about it as something deeper and more personal. “Being here, sharing a dressing room with great players is an inspiration to me,” he said. “Seeing them every day motivates me even more to do an excellent job throughout my career.”
Thiago also made clear which Brazilian striker shaped his own ambitions. “My inspiration has always been Ronaldo, a great player,” he said. “I didn’t have the opportunity to see him play but I’ve seen some videos of him. He’s an inspiration for me.”
He then linked that admiration to what he now wants to do in a Brazil shirt himself. “Being able to be here, to wear this shirt is something sensational for me and I also hope to be able to bring some joy to the Brazilian people, just as he brought us a lot of joy,” Thiago said.
There was also a more forceful side to his press conference when the conversation turned to Brazil’s performances. Thiago repeated reference to the need for more aggression, particularly after the defeat to France.
“We need to be more aggressive. We need to believe in ourselves,” he said. “We have a group with huge potential, so we need to explore that side of aggressiveness and assert ourselves because this shirt is gigantic. We shouldn’t fear anyone, others need to fear us.”
Thiago is only just beginning his senior Brazil journey, but his message was not cautious or passive. It was the view of a forward who believes Brazil should impose themselves more, and one who clearly sees intensity and physical presence as part of what he can offer. .
The 24-year-old's words showed emotion, ambition and self-belief in equal measure. He spoke like a player grateful to have reached this level, but also one who wants his first Brazil call-up to be the start of something bigger.