An Arsenal player came under fire ahead of his appearance at the World Cup
Gabriel Martinelli was told “nobody knows who you are” by a former Brazil star after being called up to World Cup 2022.
Martinelli, aged 21 at the time, was picked by then-head coach Tite to represent the Selecao in Qatar. By November 2022, when the team selection was announced, the young winger had already scored an impressive five goals in 13 Premier League appearances for Arsenal that season.
Yet, his selection still divided opinion, especially as he was picked ahead of well-respected names such as Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Barbosa. One of Martinelli’s harshest critics was ex-Brazil forward Neto, 59, who launched a stinging rant at him by saying no one would even recognise him around the country, suggesting he hadn’t done enough to warrant a World Cup spot.
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But Martinelli, now 24, has silenced those who criticised him last time out by going into this summer’s World Cup 2026 as a Premier League champion. Having been selected by Carlo Ancelotti alongside his club team-mate Gabriel Magalhaes, there is no question that people all around the world – not just in Brazil – will know Martinelli by now.
Neto had furiously told Os Donos da Bola: “This is a shame, a joke! I feel ashamed! What is Martinelli’s story? 33 career goals. This is a shame, a lack of respect for football. Doing this with football shows that you don’t deserve the position you are in.
“Calling up Martinelli and not calling up Gabigol [Barbosa] is a lack of respect. The biggest shame of all the call-ups. Calling up Martinelli shows that you, Tite, shouldn’t hold the position you do, because you’re not fair to Gabigol.
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“The guy [Martinelli] who scores five goals in the season, who walks around the mall here, nobody knows who he is… And not taking Gabigol, the guy who scored the goal of the Libertadores title, who scored 29 goals in the season.
“What has Martinelli done in European football? Arsenal are not even in the Champions League. This is a calamity!”
Martinelli has since become a Champions League regular, scoring six goals this term and playing a crucial role as the Gunners reached the final of the competition. His Premier League form was considerably worse, however, managing just one goal and four assists, though he still played a part in helping deliver the club’s first league title in 22 years.
That was enough to earn him a call-up from Ancelotti in May. Martinelli shared his reaction to his call-up on social media by writing: “Today I realize one more dream in my life.
“Being called up to the National Team is proof that all the effort is worth it. Very proud to represent my country in yet another World Cup! Thank you to everyone who has walked with me so far. This is just the beginning.”
Martinelli didn’t register a goal or an assist in any of his three appearances at the Qatar World Cup but will be hoping to put his experience to good use this time around. The forward netted goals in Brazil’s friendlies against Japan and Croatia last year, and will be desperate to play a part in his country’s pursuit of a first World Cup triumph since 2002.
