From the mists of Iguazu falls, to the sands of the Copacabana, and right up to the very mouth of the Amazon, Brazil is a vast country filled with natural beauty. But it is the natural talent that interests Rafa Magalhaes, the manager for Team Brazil Masters.

This year, Rafa reports that Brazil are bringing their best team yet, and that has him spinning his wheels with excitement. He states: ” We are really taking the best we have in Brazil, I’m very happy with the team we have, finally all the master players were available for the world cup and the hockey gods conspired to make everything work out”.

Rafa is not the first to claim the hockey gods were on their side, but Rafa has good reason to believe. “We have some players returning to the World Cup, and a new group who have never played at this level, players who made their careers in places like Spain, Argentina and the USA.” This could represent a big step up for Rafa and the boys from Brazil, as their performances have varies over the years they have participated. This is more to do with the standard rising all around them from every corner of the globe. But with a new crop of players with more global experience, Brazil may just emerge as a true force in this category of Inline.

Rafa’s intentions are clear: “Our goal this year is to place better than in 2019 when we came in sixth place and maybe compete for a medal”. And there is every possibility they could do that! The pools are being drawn as this is being written, so we will soon see how the draw opens up for teams like Brazil, who are keen to make their name in this historic competition. Right from the beginning when Brazil joined MIHWA at the Masters World Cup, they have played with a style and passion that demonstrates their belief that they can compete with the big names in World Inline Hockey.

And the standard in Brazil is rising as well, so we may just see a brazilian flag on a podium soon at the Masters. Rafa believes it for sure: “Year after year more and more players are interested in competing in the world championship, the Masters and Veterans teams get better and better”. We can’t wait to see the results in just a few weeks time, when the puck drops for their first game at the Masters, Veterans and Legends World Cup. Jaca is calling!