Bia Zaneratto on being a role model for younger players — and more

With 129 games played for Brazil, Bia Zaneratto is one of the team's key players. The forward is known as the "Empress" and has a strong connection with the Brazilian National Team, having participated in competitions like the Olympic Games, Copa América, and the World Cup, and has accumulated some important titles. Called up by coach Arthur Elias for this FIFA Date, she was a starter in the last match against Costa Rica.

After the last game against Costa Rica, Tainá Maranhão, who scored her first goal with the Amarelinha, shared her feelings about being so close to someone she admires greatly. She and Bia Zaneratto are teammates at Palmeiras.

Asked about being a reference for her teammates, Bia Zaneratto said she is happy to closely follow the evolution of young Brazilian talents. The forward also shared a conversation with Thais Lima, who, in that match, became the youngest goalkeeper to debut for the Brazilian National Team.

Bia Zaneratto during the match against Costa RicaCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

"Sometimes I don't even realize this role. Before the match, I talked to Thais, told her to stay calm, do what she loves most, and fulfill this dream of wearing the National Team jersey. With Tainá, it's also been very special, and like it or not, I was the one who passed the ball for her to make the individual play, and seeing her emotion scoring the first goal was very special for me too," she said.

The Brazilian National Team will face their next challenge on Wednesday (4), against Venezuela. Bia Zaneratto analyzed coach Arthur Elias's work and highlighted the importance of rotation among the starting players.

"Here with Arthur, we never really know who the 11 starters will be, but I think that's also very important because it prepares everyone. All the players who are called up are sure they will get on the field. So, this makes everyone feel part of it, feel confident," she said.

Bia Zaneratto during the match against Costa RicaCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

"Now we are already starting to think about Venezuela, but the preparation is the same, with intensity, studying the opponent, and already fixing some things we did wrong against Costa Rica for the next game. The thought is always ahead (World Cup 2027), but we know that every little step until then will be of utmost importance so that we can improve and arrive in the best possible way," she added.

The friendly match between Brazil and Venezuela will take place at the Mexican Federation Training Center, at 6:30 PM (Brasília time), with live broadcast on SporTV. Following that, the Amarelinha will face Mexico on Saturday (7).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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