At 44 years old, Fábio was one of the protagonists of Fluminense’s 2-0 victory over Inter Milan in the round of 16 of the Club World Cup
Former player and commentator Felipe Melo was very clear about Fábio: he wants Carlo Ancelotti to forget about his advanced age and call the goalkeeper up for the Brazilian National Team. The statement came after the 44-year-old player was one of Fluminense’s standout players in the 2-0 victory over Inter Milan this Monday (30/6), in Charlotte, in the United States.
Fábio was one of the players responsible for Fluminense’s qualification for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup: he made four saves and received a score of 7.7 from SofaScore, being the second best player of the match – behind only Jhon Arias.
And his performance earned praise from Felipe Melo, a former Fluminense teammate. “What can I say about Fábio, huh? 44 years old, defending the way he is defending… The game was 1-0, and he made a save on a quick play, on a shot by Lautaro Martínez, which we don’t see every day, okay?”, said Felipe Melo, who continued.
“These guys [Fábio and Thiago Silva] are showing that football has no age. And I still have the same thought: why hasn’t Fábio [been called up?]… ‘Ah, he’s 44 years old’, but he should be in the Brazilian national team. He made a save in a quick play… Lautaro Martínez finished quickly, and he made the save that was crucial to the game. It would have been 1-1. For the love of God, guys, forget about age and take this guy to the national team, for the love of God.”
Fábio’s decisive save at the Club World Cup
Fábio’s miraculous save occurred in the 36th minute of the second half. Esposito received the ball in the box, turned around the marker and crossed. Lautaro Martínez got ahead of Freytes and hit it hard, first time.
The number 1 fell to the left corner and prevented the Italian team from equalizing. In the first half, in the 10th minute, Fábio had already appeared well to block a shot from left-back Dimarco.
The Flu goalkeeper also showed confidence in his goal kicks and did not hesitate to kick the ball out of the field when he was being pressured by the Internazionale forwards. At 44 years old – he will turn 45 on September 30 – Fábio renewed his contract with Fluminense until December 2026. Age is no obstacle for the experienced goalkeeper, who was Cruzeiro’s starting goalkeeper from 2005 to 2021, to maintain excellent physical and technical shape.
Fluminense in the World Cup quarterfinals
With a place in the quarterfinals, Fluminense awaits the winner of Manchester City vs. Al-Hilal. The England team and the Saudi Arabia team will face off on Monday night (June 30), at 10 pm, at Camping World Stadium, in Orlando.
