The Brazil women's national team has arrived in Australia to begin preparations for the World Cup, where they'll open play on July 24 against Panama in Adelaide.
The squad played one final send-off match on July 2 in Brasília — hammering Chile 4-0 in front of over 15,000 — before heading to the local airport the following day.
It was an emotional send-off for 23-year-old forward Nycole Raysla, who's from the city and whose father actually works for the airport. The pair brushed away tears as Nycole said her goodbyes before jetting away to fulfill her life's ambition.
Um dos momentos mais emocionantes do embarque da Seleção foi o encontro de Nycole com o pai. O Sr. Alessandro Antônio dos Santos atua no aeroporto de Brasília e a escala coincidiu com a ida da filha para a Copa do Mundo Feminina.@EsportesGZH pic.twitter.com/a55qzhQXEm
— Valéria Possamai (@valpossamai) July 3, 2023
Nycole, who started in the friendly against Chile and provided the opening assist for Gabi Nunes, is part of Brazil's evolving attack. This will be Marta's sixth and final World Cup (she's confirmed her retirement following the tournament), while Debinha is 31 and Andressa Alves 30.
Nycole (23), Gabi (26) and Geyse (25) are all expected to play big roles in Australia, especially if Brazil are to advance beyond the Round of 16 for the first time since 2011.
After opening against Panama, Brazil plays France on July 29 in one of the group stage's biggest games before finishing against Bunny Shaw's Jamaica on Aug. 2.
Chegaram com estilo! Confira como foi o momento da chegada da #SeleçãoFeminina em solo australiano… Vamos nessa! #PelaPrimeiraEstrela
CBF TV pic.twitter.com/6pa0nBPjl7— Seleção Feminina de Futebol (@SelecaoFeminina) July 4, 2023
