Joao Paulo relished the taste of becoming a global champion. Now he wants to replicate the feat in the canary-yellow of Brazil.
The 23-year-old played a fundamental function in Chelsea winning the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ in July. His flying start to life in blue has continued with two goals and two assists in his first three appearances in the 2025/26 Premier League. Back on Brazil duty, Joao Pedro is dreaming of FIFA World Cup 26™ glory.
“My biggest dream is to win a World Cup with the national team,” he told FIFA. “I’ve already fulfilled that dream with my club, Chelsea, but now I want to do it for my country. It would be such an honour and it would not only make me so proud, but also my family, who are always by my side.
“It’s a massive title, without a doubt. Not everyone can say they’ve been a FIFA world champion. But I think everyone in the national team is good enough. They’re all among the best players in their positions.”
While the Ribeirao Preto native remains humble, it is clear to see that his recent success with Chelsea has showcased his abilities to a wider audience. Brazilian fans who may not have seen much of him at Brighton are now starting to believe that he could be just what the Seleção need up front. The World Cup-winning sides of 1994 and 2002 had Romario and Ronaldo as the focal points, and both have been mentioned as inspirations by Joao Pedro.
His confidence is in large part down to the way he has hit the ground running at Chelsea. He cut his holiday short to join the club in July, making his debut in the Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras. He was then named in the starting line-up for their semi-final against Fluminense, in which he scored two magnificent goals against the club where he began his career, and in the final against Paris Saint-Germain, where he again found the back of the net.
“That tournament really was a turning point in my career,” he said. “I managed to directly contribute to us winning the biggest club competition of all time, and I’d only just joined Chelsea. Because people all over the world were watching the matches, I think that a lot of people who didn’t know anything about me found out who I was.
“Representing your country is the most important part of any player’s career. I was so happy when I saw that I was in the squad, and being with Ancelotti will be great.”
But how did Joao Pedro slot in so well at Chelsea?
“I already knew the club and the players well from playing against them, so that helped me to settle in quickly,” he said. “On top of that, scoring those goals really helped make it easier for me.”
While his explanation stands to reason, there is certainly more to it than that. Joao Pedro’s success comes from his mentality and commitment to preparation, both at and away from his clubs. He works with a team that cover all bases in terms of his preparation off the pitch, from a fitness coach and physiotherapist to a personal chef, who all work with the Chelsea forward on a daily basis.
“While he was still on holiday, we started to increase the intensity so that he could be in good shape when he arrived at the Club World Cup, but Joao is very strong mentally and emotionally,” Rodrigo Goncalves, Joao Pedro’s fitness coach for the past 13 years, told FIFA. “That’s also why he settled in so quickly and didn’t feel under any pressure.”
Some of his personal team have been working with him since he was in Brazil, while others were brought in to help him adapt to the Premier League when he arrived in 2020, especially when it came to his diet. Like many Brazilians, Joao Pedro still enjoys his chicken stroganoff once a week, but he has changed his eating habits.
“He was young when he arrived at Watford, and all teenagers enjoy processed food,” said Caio Mello, who works with him in England. “But he already knew what he wanted and he improved what he was eating.”
Those who regularly work with him say that Joao Pedro is very much committed to his career as a footballer and has listened carefully to the advice of centre-back Thiago Silva, a Chelsea and Fluminense fan favourite.
“He has listened to several pieces of advice and taken it all on board,” said Caio. “He’s intelligent. He’s sacrificed a lot but has gained a lot more. He’s a monster, on and off the pitch.
“I think his mind matured before his body. Joao was already talented but then he got stronger physically and became a ‘real man’ after he began to take responsibility for looking after himself.”
Joao Pedro’s mother, Flavia, played the role of mother and father during his younger years. “Joao was raised to play football because his mother gave up everything to look after him,” said Rodrigo. “He’s not spoiled, but he’s always been shielded from other things because his mother absorbed it all.”
He was also very fond of his stepfather, Carlao, who filled the “void” in Joao Pedro’s life and taught him a lot. Carlao died on 2 November 2021, which came as a shock to the young Brazilian and marked a major turning point in his life away from the pitch. From that moment, he felt that he needed to look after his mother and grandmother, Dalva.
“I think that losing the paternal figure in his life made Joao feel like it was then up to him to take on the mantle, to be the man of the house”, explained Rodrigo.
It was Carlao’s dream to see him play with, or against, Cristiano Ronaldo. Eighteen days after the death of his beloved stepfather, the young striker came off the Watford bench against Manchester United and scored a 92nd-minute goal to seal a 4-1 win for the Hornets. He looked to the sky while celebrating the goal and, after a few years had passed, he said that he was thinking of Carlao.
While he may not have been the finished article when he arrived in England, it now looks as though Brazil and Chelsea could have a diamond on their hands. Joao Pedro, though, is still driven by the same dreams he had as a child.
As Caio explained, “Joao has always trained and played like his life depended on it.”
He is as hungry now as he’s ever been.
