Gabriel Martinelli has been sensational since making the move to Arsenal from Brazil's fourth division in 2019 for £6milion. His drive and ability have made him a guaranteed starter under Mikel Arteta.
It is because of his ability that he has been called up to represent Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar. At just 21 years old, it is set to be the wingers’ first major international tournament.
And with the current trajectory that Martinelli is on, the upcoming World Cup is unlikely to be his last international competition. Chelsea legend Joe Cole has even backed the Brazilian to be the star at the next edition of the World Cup in 2026.
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In a YouTube video with fellow pundit Peter Crouch, Cole spoke about Martinelli’s inclusion in Tite’s plans for the tournament in Qatar.
Cole said: “Playing for Brazil is the one. To get a cap for Brazil, especially as a forward, you know straight away, you’re one of the elite players in the world.
"The only one which was a surprise for me – not a (huge) surprise cos I love him, is Martinelli," he added.
“I think that one there, they’re bringing him, but especially because they’ve got eight other forwards, I don’t think he’ll play much but the next tournament, he could be the star. Neymar’s getting on a bit.”
The youngster has been performing excellently on the left-hand side for Arsenal in recent months, so he has been called up to the senior Brazil squad. Martinelli touched on how it is one of his dreams to play in a World Cup in an interview with Globo, and with the next edition of this competition set to take place in less than a week, he took his chance by showing class displays for Arsenal and was called up to take part in the international competition.
Whilst Crouch didn’t speak about Martinelli’s role at the 2026 World Cup, he mentioned how the Arsenal winger could be a key asset for the upcoming tournament in Qatar.
He said: “What a player to bring on though, if you’re getting tired in extra time, bring on Martinelli. That could be a gamechanger.”
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