Brasileirão returns this Thursday; 33 players went to the World Cup

The Brazilian fans, already lacking in the World Cup, will be able to follow some of the athletes who participated in the FIFA (International Football Federation) tournament, but now defending the colors of their clubs.

Of the 20 teams competing in Series A, 13 have players on their squads who participated in the national team competition.

In total, 33 Brasileirão players, from seven teams, participated in the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the highest number in the historical series.

The previous record was from the 1974 World Cup, in West Germany, when 27 players who competed in the Brazilian Championship were called up for the World Cup.

The resumption of the Brasileirão takes place with two night games this Thursday: Botafogo x Santos, at Nilton Santos, in Rio, and Vitória x Vasco, at Barradão, in Salvador, both at 7:30 pm (Brasília time).

For the away duel, Santos will not be able to count on Neymar. The star's return is only scheduled for the 17th, with a possible return to the pitch on the 21st, against Universidad Central, in the Copa Sudamericana.

Danilo Santos, midfielder of the black and white team from Rio, is speculated about in other clubs and should not be available either.

The two protagonists of national football in recent years, Palmeiras and Flamengo, leader and vice-leader of the Brazilian Championship, are the teams with the most players who participated in the World Cup. Abel Ferreira's team gave up seven athletes for the tournament, while the red and black team had nine called up.

Alviverde returns to the field next Wednesday, the 22nd, against Coritiba, at Couto Pereira, in Curitiba, at 7:30 pm (Brasília time).

The expectation is that six players who played in the World Cup and have already returned to the club will be available to the Portuguese coach for the duel in Paraná – Emiliano Martínez and Joaquín Piquerez, from Uruguay, who fell in the group stage, the trio Gustavo Gómez, Maurício and Ramón Sosa, from Paraguay, eliminated in the round of 16 by France, and Jhon Arias, from Colombia, who also fell in the round of 16, against Switzerland.

The only absence should be striker Flaco López, a reserve from Argentina, who remains with the team in the USA.

Flamengo also returns to the field on the 22nd, against Chapecoense, at Arena Condá, in Chapecó, at 9:30 pm.

Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim should be able to count on three of the four players in the squad who defended the Brazilian team for the duel: Alex Sandro, Danilo and Léo Pereira. Lucas Paquetá is recovering from injury.

The Rio club also has Uruguayans Guillermo Varela, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Nicolás de la Cruz and Colombian Jorge Carrascal, as well as striker Gonzalo Plata, from Ecuador, eliminated in the second phase by Mexico.

With four athletes, Atlético-MG is the third team in the Brasileirão with the most players who competed in the World Cup: Ecuadorians Alan Franco, Alan Minda and Ángelo Preçado, as well as Paraguayan Júnior Alonso.

Atlético returns to the field on the 21st, against Bahia, at Arena MRV, in Belo Horizonte, at 7:30 pm.

Next comes Grêmio, with three athletes: Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton, Paraguayan defender Fabián Balbuena and recently signed attacking midfielder Jovane Cabral, one of the highlights of Cape Verde's surprising campaign, which advanced to the knockout stage in its first World Cup, falling in a very balanced duel against Argentina.

Internacional has two players who participated in the FIFA tournament: goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, from Uruguay, and defender Félix Torres, from Ecuador. Colorado plays on the 22nd, against Cruzeiro, at Beira-Rio, in Porto Alegre, at 9:30 pm.

There are still eight teams with a player who went to the World Cup in North America.

Among those from São Paulo, Corinthians should not yet have the presence of Memphis Depay for the resumption of the Brasileirão, on the 23rd, against Remo, at the Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo.

The Dutch striker, eliminated with his national team by Morocco in the second phase, is still negotiating a contract renewal, and the tendency is for him to only return to the team when his situation is resolved.

São Paulo and Bragantino, with Paraguayans Damián Bobadilla and Isidro Pitta, face Athletico-PR and Fluminense, respectively.

Dorival Júnior's team plays at the Cícero de Souza Marques stadium, in Bragança Paulista, on the 22nd, at 9:30 pm, while the team from the interior of São Paulo returns to the field this Friday (17th), at Maracanã, at 8 pm.

WORLD CUP PLAYERS WHO COMPETE IN THE BRAZILIAN

Flamengo (9)Alex Sandro (Brazil)Danilo (Brazil)Léo Pereira (Brazil)Lucas Paquetá (Brazil)Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador)Guillermo Varela (Uruguay)Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Uruguay)Nicolás de la Cruz (Uruguay)Jorge Carrascal (Colombia)

Palmeiras (7)Emiliano Martínez (Uruguay)Joaquín Piquerez (Uruguay)Flaco López (Argentina)Gustavo Gómez (Paraguay)Maurício (Paraguay)Ramón Sosa (Paraguay)Jhon Arias (Colombia)

Atlético-MG (4)Alan Franco (Ecuador)Alan Minda (Ecuador)Ángelo Preciado (Ecuador)Júnior Alonso (Paraguay)

Grêmio (3)Fabián Balbuena (Paraguay)Jovane Cabral (Cape Verde)Weverton (Brazil)

International (2)Felix Torres (Ecuador)Sergio Rochet (Uruguay)

Corinthians (1) Memphis Depay (Netherlands)

São Paulo (1)Damián Bobadilla (Paraguay)

Santos (1)Neymar (Brazil)

Red Bull Bragantino (1)Isidro Pitta (Paraguay)

Fluminense (1)Agustín Canobbio (Uruguay)

Botafogo (1)Danilo Santos (Brazil)

Vasco (1) Andrés Gómez (Colombia)

Athletico-PR (1)Juan Portilla (Colombia)

World Cup finalists, Spain and Argentina have balanced records in direct confrontations

Teams faced each other 14 times, most in friendlies, with six victories for each side. There was only one previous World Cup meeting, in 1966, won by the South Americans