The Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison has decided to follow the advice of one of his national team teammates in order to perform at the highest level if he is called up by Brazil for the upcoming World Cup.

In a recent interview, the Brazilian attacker revealed that he will adopt a strict measure during the tournament: completely staying away from his mobile phone. This decision comes after a recommendation from Casemiro, who had already suggested the same thing during the 2022 World Cup, although Richarlison did not follow that advice at the time.

“I had to deal with family issues that affected my concentration,” the striker admitted while recalling his experience in that World Cup. Now, with greater maturity, he acknowledged that his teammate was right: “If I play in the next World Cup, I will leave my phone at home.”

A Difficult Present and the Pressure to Bounce Back

Despite those challenges, Richarlison was one of the standout players for Brazil at Qatar 2022. His goal against Serbia, considered one of the best of the tournament, remains fresh in the memory of fans. However, the Brazilian national team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Croatia in a penalty shootout, in a match where the forward even played through injury, pushing himself physically as far as he could.

The striker’s current situation, however, is very different. He was not called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the latest international break, and his situation at Tottenham Hotspur is not the best either, with the team fighting in the lower part of the standings. On an individual level, his numbers are not impressive either: he has scored just 10 goals across all competitions and has shown inconsistent form.

In recent weeks, he has been trying to regain his best version. After missing five matches due to injury, he returned to action and has scored two goals in his last five appearances. Although Tottenham Hotspur has not managed to win during that stretch, the Brazilian is starting to show signs of improvement in his game.

Carlo Ancelotti had previously shown faith in him during the qualifiers, where he played in every match, although without scoring or assisting. Later, in matches against South Korea and Japan, he was used as a substitute with little impact. Afterwards, against Senegal and Tunisia, he remained on the bench, and in the most recent games against France and Croatia, he was not even called up.

The reality is that Richarlison is not going through his best moment and has few matches left to convince the coaching staff. He himself admits that he has been distracted, which is why he is determined to change his approach. The advice from Casemiro now makes more sense than ever: disconnect from the outside world to fully focus on the objective.

The World Cup is on the horizon, and Richarlison knows that if he wants to be there, he will have to prove it both on and off the pitch.

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