7 June - 7 July
Bolivia
“Playing in Brazil and against Brazil makes this the Copa of my dreams.
“My wife is Brazilian, my father is Brazilian, and I played and scored for the Brazilian national youth team. I have a lot of ties with Brazil. It’s very dear to me. It was the country that opened the doors to a career in football for me, and I’ve been preparing all year for this tournament.”
The 31-year-old is just three goals away from pulling level with Joaquin Botero as Bolivia’s all-time leading goalscorer on 20. Yet while he has his sights firmly set on moving closer to a landmark achievement, his evening in Sao Paulo will be about much more than chasing a record; it will take him back to his roots, to the early days of his footballing journey.
He looked back on his start in Brazil, choosing to play for Bolivia and looking ahead to their tournament hopes.
“Playing in Brazil and against Brazil makes this the Copa of my dreams.
“My wife is Brazilian, my father is Brazilian, and I played and scored for the Brazilian national youth team. I have a lot of ties with Brazil. It’s very dear to me. It was the country that opened the doors to a career in football for me, and I’ve been preparing all year for this tournament.”
The 31-year-old is just three goals away from pulling level with Joaquin Botero as Bolivia’s all-time leading goalscorer on 20. Yet while he has his sights firmly set on moving closer to a landmark achievement, his evening in Sao Paulo will be about much more than chasing a record; it will take him back to his roots, to the early days of his footballing journey.
He looked back on his start in Brazil, choosing to play for Bolivia and looking ahead to their tournament hopes.
It’s not easy at all to get a game for Brazil when you’re a foreigner. If you look back in time, there have been very few of us. It’s a gift I was able to give my father.
Paraguay
At the age of 49, Eduardo Berizzo has taken on his first job as an international head coach. Paraguay, after failing to reach back-to-back FIFA World Cups™, have charged the Argentinian with guiding them to Qatar 2022.
Following spells with Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao and a successful battle with cancer, the man they call ‘El Toto’ is ready to lead his side into the South American qualifiers, which he experienced as an assistant to Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa in the South Africa 2010 preliminaries.
FIFA.com spoke to Berizzo about his challenge, the style of play he wants from Paraguay and the upcoming Copa America.
At the age of 49, Eduardo Berizzo has taken on his first job as an international head coach. Paraguay, after failing to reach back-to-back FIFA World Cups™, have charged the Argentinian with guiding them to Qatar 2022.
Following spells with Celta Vigo, Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao and a successful battle with cancer, the man they call ‘El Toto’ is ready to lead his side into the South American qualifiers, which he experienced as an assistant to Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa in the South Africa 2010 preliminaries.
FIFA.com spoke to Berizzo about his challenge, the style of play he wants from Paraguay and the upcoming Copa America.
The first thing we need to do is get our fans board by showing commitment and putting effort in. And then we need to go and show all that on the pitch through our style of play.
Qatar
Football coaching's main practitioners tend to be known as either club coaches, national team coaches, or age-category coaches. However, Spanish coach Felix Sanchez is not so easily pigeon-holed, having followed a somewhat different path. He first came to Qatar in 2006 to work as a trainer at Aspire Academy, with the task of identifying and developing young talent.
It was only years later that Sanchez began his journey with Qatar’s national teams. First, he led the U-19s to the 2014 Asian title and consequently to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2015. He then came very close to qualification for the 2016 Olympics before being asked to take charge of the senior team. Tasked with securing the regional title for the first time in the country’s history, he duly delivered by guiding Al-Annabi to glory at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
A few weeks ago, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) renewed Sanchez' contract until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, which Qatar will host. This proves that his employers are convinced the Spaniard is able to develop the team further in preparation for the global tournament.
Soon after the end of the domestic season, the Qatar squad gathered for an overseas training camp as part of their attempt to make history at the 2019 Copa America in Brazil. Before embarking on the trip, Sanchez found time for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with FIFA.com.
Football coaching's main practitioners tend to be known as either club coaches, national team coaches, or age-category coaches. However, Spanish coach Felix Sanchez is not so easily pigeon-holed, having followed a somewhat different path. He first came to Qatar in 2006 to work as a trainer at Aspire Academy, with the task of identifying and developing young talent.
It was only years later that Sanchez began his journey with Qatar’s national teams. First, he led the U-19s to the 2014 Asian title and consequently to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2015. He then came very close to qualification for the 2016 Olympics before being asked to take charge of the senior team. Tasked with securing the regional title for the first time in the country’s history, he duly delivered by guiding Al-Annabi to glory at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
A few weeks ago, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) renewed Sanchez' contract until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, which Qatar will host. In the wake of that announcement, Sanchez found time for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with FIFA.com.
Our participation in the 2019 Copa America can be seen as a significant step in our journey towards the World Cup. These matches will serve as an important staging post for me and the players.
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