Marquinhos on the challenges before the match against Japan

Marquinhos, defender of the Brazilian national team, spoke about preparations for the upcoming match against Japan. "I have great respect for our opponents, but even more for our work. We are preparing for such a match in the best possible way. In football, the values on the pitch are becoming more and more equal. We have seen this in recent years, when great teams and national teams lost to teams that were not previously considered to be in the first league. The same thing happened at the last Club World Cup. It was a perfect example of how football has developed, showing that any national team or club, even from a lower level, can compete with great power.” "It would not be fair not to show respect to this Japanese team; they have certainly proven their worth. Maybe they went into this World Cup with more confidence than us. We have been going through quite a turbulent period recently, both on and off the pitch. In the previous World Cup, we were eliminated by Croatia, a team that many considered to be much weaker than ours. In the last Club World Cup, my team (PSG) lost to Botafogo, even though many said we were in a different league. But in the end you have to prove your worth on the pitch.”  "We can't worry about what people say. There were huge expectations for our team at the last World Cup. They said we would go far, that we were among the favorites for the title." "Regarding the defeat in the friendly match against Japan, I think it was a learning lesson for us. Everything we have experienced in recent years in the context of the World Cup served as a lesson and a test. The coach was able to look at the aspects he wanted to evaluate. Personally, watching such a match away from the national team is always very difficult. You always want to be on the pitch and help your teammates. However, it was a good match; we could notice a few things. I also think that since then we have changed a lot, we have developed as a team and we improved in recent matches. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Il Marocco conquista i quarti di final, Canada eliminato dal Mondiale](https://azzurrigoal.com/it/news/il-marocco-conquista-i-quarti-di-finale-canada-eliminato-dal-mondiale) 2. [Ehipto, kauna-unahang panalo sa knock-out ng FIFA World Cup 2026](https://azkalsgoal.com/fil/news/ehipto-kauna-unahang-panalo-sa-knock-out-ng-fifa-world-cup-2026)