‘The Pigeon Dance’ was more en vogue than samba or forró in Brazil. Richarlison had bagged a brace – including an acrobatic effort that would be voted Goal of the Tournament – in their curtain-raising 2-0 win over Serbia at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. He’d won a penalty and scored another beauty in their 4-1 thrashing of Korea Republic in the last 16.
That goal – his 10th in nine games for Brazil that year – even had his 61-year-old coach Tite pigeon dancing on the Stadium 974 touchline. Would the 22nd global finals belong to the Seleção spearhead, just like the USA 1994 had to Romario and Korea/Japan 2002 had to Ronaldo?
Shootout cruelty in the quarter-finals ensured it wouldn’t, and that outcome plummeted Richarlison into a dark place. The Nova Venecia native said Brazil’s elimination felt “worse than losing a family member. I was really depressed. I seriously thought about giving up.”
It showed on grass. Richarlison scored just 20 goals in 90 games in his first three seasons, which were injury-plagued, at Tottenham. He was very much a bit-part player under Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou. He didn’t play for Brazil over the entire 2024.
Richarlison sought professional help. Therapy, he said, “helped me beyond what I could have imagined. It made me feel happy again.”
He’s had a lot to be happy about in recent months. Richarlison became a father for the first time – on Father’s Day in the United Kingdom, no less – on 15 May. Six days later he started as Tottenham edged Manchester United to conquer their first European trophy in 41 years. Five days after that, Carlo Ancelotti, his former Everton manager, took over as Brazil coach and named Richarlison, to the surprise of many, in his first squad.
And today Richarlison emphatically justified Thomas Frank handing him a start up front at the expense of Dominic Solanke. The 28-year-old swept home the first, scored an exceptional, acrobatic second from another Mohammed Kudus cross, and played a big hand in the third as Tottenham overpowered Burnley in their Premier League opener.
“I think there was a lot of good stuff,” said Frank on his team’s performance. “A clean sheet, three goals. But I have to mention the individual performances [from] Richarlison and Kudus, especially Richarlison. The medical department and performance department worked extremely hard to get him into a good place, and we’re still looking after him.
“It’s early days but his work-rate, his performance, two fantastic goals. His [second] goal was an unbelievable finish. He deserves it.”
Kudus added: “The second one, I don’t think it was a perfect cross, but his finish made it look so good. Richarlison scored two beautiful goals.”
Richarlison hopes his performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium helps return him to the Brazil squad for the FIFA World Cup 26™ qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia in September.
“I’ve always been at the disposal of the Seleção,” said Richarlison. “It’s not from today that I’ve starting saying the Seleção is my life. The Seleção has always been a dream.
“I think there’s a call-up on the 25th, so it’s important to start [the season] well. On the 25th I’ll be in front of the telly to see if my name comes out. If it does, I’ll be one of the happiest guys in the world. I hope to continue being happy, scoring goals, helping [Tottenham] and the Seleção.”
Richarlison then took to Instagram and posted an image of himself as Ronaldo in 2002, complete with the latter’s wacky haircut, captained with: “So there’s less than 1 year until the World Cup, right!!!”
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