Bruno Guimarães matches this century's single-World Cup assist record

Bruno Guimarães matches this century's single-World Cup assist recordBruno Guimarães celebrates Brazil’s qualification for the World Cup round of 16Credits: Nelson Terme/CBF

>After setting up Gabriel Martinelli for the winning goal, Bruno Guimarães reached four assists in the tournament on Monday (29), matching the record set by three other players in a single World Cup edition this century.

>He matched the tally achieved by Michael Ballack for Germany in 2002, Totti for Italy in 2006, and Juan Cuadrado for Colombia in 2014. At this World Cup, he moved ahead of Germany’s Florian Wirtz, France’s Michael Olise, and Sweden’s Alexander Isak, all with three assists.

>The number 8’s decisive contributions began in the group stage. In the opener against Morocco, the 28-year-old set up Vinicius Jr. Against Scotland, he provided the passes for Vinicius, once again, and Matheus Cunha to score.

>In stoppage time against Japan, he showed the composure needed to find Martinelli inside the box, an area packed with Japanese defenders.

Bruno Guimarães calls for support from Brazilian fans during the 2-1 win over Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in HoustonCredits: Nelson Terme/CBF

>For Bruno, the hard-fought and emotional victory reflected what Brazil is as a country.

>“More than anything, it was a game that had our country’s identity. We suffered until the end, but everything worked out. We never gave up. We had five finals ahead of us, now there are four left. It was a special moment for me and my family. Scoring a goal the way it happened is emotional. It was a very difficult, scrappy game; they wanted to counterattack and defend. But the team that deserved it won. I hope it stays like this, with this spirit, because God willing, we’ll go far,” he said.

>One of the pillars of the national team since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival, the coach praised the midfielder’s importance and another outstanding performance.

>“Bruno is a very important player, very consistent in the game, always making a very good contribution defensively and offensively. He gave a fantastic assist, and I’m very happy because Bruno has a very big heart,” the coach said.

>With Bruno Guimarães in fine form, Brazil will face Ivory Coast or Norway in the World Cup round of 16. The match will take place next Sunday (5) in New Jersey.

Bruno Guimarães in action during Brazil vs. Japan in the World Cup round of 32 in HoustonCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

>This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.