With each chance, Yuri Leles fulfils dreams in Brazil's U20 shirt

With each chance, Yuri Leles fulfils dreams in Brazil's U20 shirtForward Yuri Leles’s journey with Brazil’s Men’s Under-20 National Team is a story of recognizing and seizing opportunities as they arise. Called up for the first time in March, Leles has now made the final squad of the year and looks back on the emotions of his first season wearing Brazil’s famous yellow jersey.In a footballer’s life, you have to be ready at any moment. In March, Yuri Leles received his first national team call-up. And all the feelings that came with it remain fresh in his memory.“It took a while to sink in. Walking to the team’s base, I kept thinking about everything that was happening and realized I needed to enjoy every second. I looked at myself, at the shirt, and thought: ‘I’m making a dream come true. I want to keep wearing this shirt.’ Even when I wasn’t playing, every day, every training session, every team talk Paulo Victor gave, I wanted to show my enthusiasm and how happy I was to be there,” he recalls.Forward Yuri Leles training at the Mangueirão: focused on making the most of his opportunities in a Brazil shirtCredits: Joilson Marconne / CBFIn June, another opportunity came his way: an offer from Austria’s Liefering. Having been at Red Bull Bragantino since the age of 10, he knew the move would mean stepping out of his comfort zone. But he accepted the challenge.“It’s not an easy decision at all. I stepped out of my comfort zone. I’d been at Red Bull Bragantino since I was nine or ten—my whole life. My family was nearby, I was speaking my own language, and I’d always played there. It was a leap into the unknown, going to a completely different country, with a completely different language and completely different football. But I wanted that experience. I thought that if I didn’t go, I’d never know what might have been. Growing professionally and culturally was very important to me,” he recalled.His second chance to wear Brazil’s yellow jersey came during the August international window. It was an opportunity to add another dimension to his national team experience, as the matches against Bolivia would take place at the legendary Granja Comary. Then, during the extended international window, the experience became complete: he scored his first goal in a 4–1 rout of Denmark.“Scoring my first goal was a unique moment. It left a mark on me and will stay with me forever. When I stepped onto the pitch, I said my prayer, took my first step and told myself: ‘Believe in every ball, because you’re ready. If the ball falls to you, you know what to do.’ And when (Kauã) Pascini sent in the cross, I was ready. The ball fell to me, and I saw a lot of players in front of me. I feinted and took two defenders out of the play. When it came onto my right foot, I knew there was still one in front of me. But it all happens in fractions of a second. I shot and scored. It’s incredibly rewarding,” he said.Pascini, who provided the assist, is also part of the current squad. Asked whether he wants to repeat the partnership, Leles doesn’t hesitate. “He doesn’t even need to give me the perfect ball. If he crosses it into the box, I’ll give it my all and shoot,” he says firmly.This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.