Denilson, a Brazil legend, criticized the way the Samba players reacted after being eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup by Norway, stressing that written statements on social media do not reflect the depth of sadness and frustration, nor do they help rebuild the relationship with the fans.

Most of the Brazil national team players turned to their social media accounts to comment on the elimination against Norway in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

But Denilson, the former Real Betis player who made 61 international appearances for Brazil, considered these posts 'too cold' and that they distance the team from its fans.

The 48-year-old former player explained in a video posted on his social media accounts that players often rely on statements written by media and public relations officials.

The former São Paulo, Real Betis, Flamengo, and Palmeiras player pointed out that this practice has become common, but it fails to convey the feelings of sadness and disappointment experienced by the players, nor does it help restore communication with the fans.

Denilson said: 'Record a real video, just talk and say what you wrote... or rather what you actually wrote, because sometimes the PR team writes the text, and that is normal and there is no problem with it. But man... record a video. The fans need to feel the sadness, to sense the disappointment. Brazil's fans need to reconnect with the national team. When it's just a written statement, it feels... I don't know, too cold, you understand?... The fans need to feel what you felt.'

He added that this step has become necessary after Brazil's worst World Cup performance since the 1990 edition, and the continuation of the longest drought without titles in the team's history, which has reached 28 years.

He concluded: 'Face the fans... record a video. Just writing is... what a disaster!'