Brazil kick off their campaign tonight against Venezuela. The Seleção are second favourites behind their fierce rivals Argentina and expected to receive a hostile reception from the home support.
However, Lucas says he and his teammates are ready for the challenge. He told LFC Weekly: “The atmosphere is always intense. As a footballer, these are the places you want to play. When the atmosphere is like this, it is very exciting.
“You know most of the people want you to lose but that also makes you want to win more. Brazil versus Argentina is probably the biggest international rivalry in world football.”
Lucas also explained how the Brazil players knew how much the competition meant to the fans, and said that the side would have to do their utmost to bring home the trophy for the third time in a row.
“Brazil is a country that lives football,” he continued. “To the people, it is life. There are 200 million people living there and everyone knows football. Everybody has an opinion and everyone thinks they can be manager. The pressure is always really high.
“During World Cups and other international tournaments, the country just stops and everybody goes out into the streets. As players, we know what our responsibilities are because if we weren’t playing, we’d be on the streets too. We have to give everything.”
