Football
ESPN staff 6y

Dani Alves content despite knee injury: 'I have lived my dreams'

Brazil right-back Dani Alves says he's happy despite suffering a knee injury that will force him to miss the World Cup.

The 35-year-old played for Brazil in the last two World Cups and has made 107 international appearances, and he insisted he was content despite not being able to be part of the Selecao squad in Russia next month.

"I don't want anybody to feel sorry for me," Alves wrote in a text published by The Players' TribuneĀ on Saturday. "I have lived my dreams. Dani Alves is not going to the World Cup, but he is still one happy m-----f-----."

Alves was hurt while playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final on Tuesday, and he revealed that he knew he was going to miss the tournament in Russia as soon as he felt the first pains.

"When I felt the pain in my knee, my soul went out of my body. I knew from the moment I hit the ground that I was not going to be on the plane to Russia for the World Cup," he wrote on The.

"In the changing room, the PSG doctors told me that we would have to wait until the next day to get the results of some tests, but I knew in my heart that it was over."

Alves will be sidelined for about six months after surgery, and the defender said he would be supporting his country with the rest of the population, and backed his teammates to bring home the title.

"I believe that this team can win the trophy," he wrote. "We have the talent and the superstars, but more importantly, we also have a maestro. Tite has been able to create an incredible ambience since he took over the team, and he's shown the players that we cannot be soloists. We must be in perfect harmony in order to achieve our dreams.

"I have been with the senior team for 12 years, and this is the strongest our connection has ever been - in organization, in structure, in ideas, in everything. We have a good mix of younger players, like Gabriel Jesus and Coutinho, and also the older players who remember the heartache of the last World Cup and want to make things right."

Brazil coach Tite will announce his squad Monday in Rio de Janeiro, with the likes of Manchester City's Danilo, Corinthians' Fagner, and Bayern Munich's Rafinha in contention to replace Alves.

Alves, one of the leaders of Brazil's team, said in a video on Instagram that he wants fans and teammates to take nothing but good energies from him.

"Maybe my ego is a bit hurt right now, but my soul is at peace because I always tried to do my best," Alves said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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