Richarlison – Tottenham Hotspur forward and unlikely Brazil hero

Brazil is flying in the World Cup so far, and Tottenham forward Richarlison has been a major part of their success.

Despite a shocking loss to Cameroon in the final matchday in the group stages of this year’s World Cup, Brazil have been in excellent form. Their most recent game saw them beat Korea Republic (as their referred to by FIFA), and Richarlison added to his goal tally in the tournament.

Brazil’s forward and starting striker now has 3 goals, two of which have a genuine shout to be the goal of the tournament. His first came in their opening game against Serbia, with an acrobatic scissor-kick goal to put the favorites up 2-0.

Less than 10 minutes earlier, he opened his World Cup account, albeit with a much simpler finish, helping lead Brazil to a 2-0 victory against a team that was viewed as one of the dark horses of the tournament.

While he might be an unpopular figure in the Premier League, Richarlison is surely winning over the hearts of many in his home country, Brazil. He has had to fight off competition to be selected over the likes of Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Barbosa, Hulk, and the now-injured Gabriel Jesus. 

• The 11 Spurs players playing in the FIFA World Cup

Admittedly, I am not his biggest fan either, in fact, I’m not a fan of him at all. I am one of the many that do not like Richarlison, but his form for Brazil and his role in their success in this tournament are undeniable.

This is the beauty of the World Cup, it is built for unlikely heroes to emerge. In a team that has Neymar Jr, Vinicius Jr, Raphina, Gabriel Martinelli, Rodrygo, and Antony, the fact he is starting and playing at this level is fantastic for Brazil.

At the club level, Richarlison has yet to score a single goal and has only provided two assists. When he returns to North London, he will face stiff competition with both Son (who is also having a tough season so far), and Dejan Kulusevski who will be returning from injury. For now, Richarlison can take solace in his incredible form for Brazil, aiming to lift the World Cup trophy in only 10 days time.

Let’s be honest, if you’ve got your coach joining in on your celebrations, you’re doing something right.