Marquinhos added that Gabriel’s spot-kick failure in the UCL final was highly reminiscent of his own painful penalty miss for Brazil at the World Cup.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos has asserted that his international teammate and Arsenal defender, Gabriel Magalhães, was the best player in his position throughout the just-concluded season.
The Paris Saint-Germain star made this known during a press conference ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he shared details of his conversation with his fellow Brazilian after the UEFA Champions League (UCL) final.
Gabriel played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s lifting of the English Premier League (EPL) title, ending a 22-year wait for the club.
His formidable central defensive partnership with French international William Saliba was instrumental in achieving the feat.
The Gunners were on track to secure a historic double by clinching the UCL trophy, but the Brazilian defender’s missed penalty in the shootout against PSG ultimately cost his team.
Marquinhos, who was on the winning side during the final, was the first to comfort an upset Gabriel following the miss.
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According to the PSG captain, he consoled Gabriel on the pitch, reassuring him that he had been the standout defender in Europe’s elite club competition.
He added that the Gunners defender’s spot-kick failure was highly reminiscent of his own painful penalty miss for Brazil at the 2022 World Cup.
“I was prepared to celebrate, but as I began to run, I noticed him right in front of me and my team passing by him, reminiscent of my own penalty miss in 2022,” Marquinhos stated, as reported by Metro UK.
“At that moment, I began to think about my teammate, feeling empathy, as I have experienced a similar situation and understand the weight of the responsibility. I advised him to remain strong and to hold his head high because he had an outstanding season and an exceptional match.”
He then encouraged Gabriel to move past the incident and shift his focus to the upcoming World Cup in North America.
“I told him that, in my view, he was the best centre-back in the world this season. He absolutely should not bear that burden because, naturally, we all aspire to score penalties.
“I reassured him that nothing about that moment would diminish the remarkable season he had and that we would greatly rely on him.” he added.
