RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kaio Jorge knows all about challenges. After overcoming a serious injury and a difficult spell in Europe, the 23-year-old Cruzeiro striker is savoring a chance many thought might never come.
Despite his travails, or perhaps because of them, Jorge has the aura of a young man at ease after being called up for Brazil's last two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
The five-time world champions will face Chile at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium on Thursday and Bolivia in El Alto next Tuesday. With Brazil already guaranteed of a place in football's showpiece tournament, manager Carlo Ancelotti has said he will use the games to test new players and rest established stars.
"When you come through the youth categories, you already know La Granja Comary [Brazil's training base] and the people who work at the Brazilian Football Confederation, so you feel calm when you reach the top level," Jorge told the confederation's official website, recalling his experience with the national under-15 and under-17 teams.
The Brazil call-up is the latest turn in a career that once promised a smooth rise before stalling. After breaking through at Santos and helping the club reach the 2020 Copa Libertadores final, Jorge earned a high-profile move to Juventus in 2021.
But he struggled for minutes in Turin and failed to score in 11 appearances across all competitions. Then came a patella tendon injury that kept him sidelined for 18 months, a period he describes as his sternest test.
"My injury was a very painful process, but I matured a lot mentally and as a man as well," Jorge said. "I'm now in a very good place and focused."
That resilience has underpinned a stunning run of form for Cruzeiro, where Jorge has 15 goals in 21 Brazilian Serie A matches this season, making him the league's leading scorer and an early frontrunner for player of the season.
The center-forward said his Brazil call-up was the cause for raucous celebrations at his Belo Horizonte home.
"I was sitting on the couch with my family and friends, and when Ancelotti said my name, it was an explosion of emotion, so much happiness," he said. "I have the utmost respect for Ancelotti, for everything he's achieved and for the person he is."
Jorge credits Cruzeiro not only for his revival on the pitch, but also for restoring his sense of belonging in Brazilian football.
"I'm very happy at Cruzeiro, it's a club that has welcomed me incredibly well," he said. "I hope to maintain this good form so I can continue to have opportunities in the national team's senior squad and be able to score goals."
His scoring touch has even won him respect in hostile stadiums, something he describes with quiet pride.
"In the Brazilian Serie A you play against teams with fanatical supporters and by scoring goals you end up earning their respect," he observed.
That passion runs even deeper when the national team plays, and Jorge knows the expectations will be magnified in Brazil's famous yellow shirt.
"Regardless of whether we've already qualified or not, when playing for Brazil, you have to always think about winning," he said. "It will be a great opportunity for me and the other Brazil-based players who are coming for the first time to showcase our football."
For Jorge, the task is simple: to play without fear, work for his teammates and let humility guide him as much as goals.
"I want to continue being that happy Kaio by scoring and creating goals, helping out in defense and staying grounded, which is my strong point off the pitch." ■
