Ramires picks out World Cup finalists and discusses Bellingham and Martinelli

Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires chatted with Ladbrokes about the quarter-final clash between England and France, the two teams he expects to make it to the World Cup final, Jude Bellingham, Gabriel Martinelli, the best Brazilian in the Premier League and the samba saga.

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Brazil will play the winners of England v France in World Cup final

I see Brazil beating Croatia 2-0 in the quarter-final on Friday. As for the other side of the draw, this is such a complicated thing to try to predict, because I do think that right now, England are better than France.

Looking at the way England have approached this tournament so far, I can absolutely see them reaching the final, but they’re up against the world champions in France, so it’s incredibly difficult to pick a winner.

Of course, I want to see France in the final because of our past as Brazilians, in particular back in 1998. It’s time for our revenge, and that’s the final I want to see. But England are a great side, so it’s tough to pick a winner between the two teams. What I am confident about, is that Brazil will play the winners of that England v France game in the final of the World Cup.

I’m not going to try to please a certain set of fans. I watch most of England’s games alone, and based on what I’ve seen, I’d say France are a huge team, but England, collectively, carry with them this evolution; something is happening game by game, and they’re getting stronger and stronger. They’ve got a chance, they’ve got a huge chance. From what we see right now, you might say England are favourites to win this game, but they’re up against a huge team in France, and so naturally it’s incredibly difficult to predict the outcome of that match.

Brazil have got a really, really tough run if they’re to win the World Cup. But, for me, they will do it. We need revenge for 1998, so I really want to see France play us in the final. I’m so confident in this side, as a Brazilian, that I can’t even think for a second about who I might want to win the World Cup if Brazil don’t. I just don’t see it happening; I think Brazil will go all the way.

I could see Jude Bellingham carrying on his development at Chelsea… the boy is on another level

I’m always watching English football and I’ve seen every England game so far in Qatar. They have so many exciting young players, but Jude Bellingham is the one for me. He’s the one boy who has caught my attention. I believe he’s on a different level altogether. Some of the guys that are coming through are incredible, but Jude is a different level, for me. I’ve been so impressed by him.

Bellingham and Declan Rice have both been linked with moves to Chelsea in the past. If it was up to me and I had to choose out of the two to sign for the club, I’d go with Bellingham. I could see him carrying on his development at Chelsea, for sure. He’d absolutely be an amazing signing.

It’s inevitable that huge clubs will come knocking for Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli is a terrific player. He’s been absolutely tremendous for Arsenal this season, and it’s great to see a young Brazilian coming through and showing so much maturity. It’s inevitable that huge clubs like Real Madrid and Juventus will come knocking on the door. At Arsenal, he is playing for a huge club with lots of ambition, but of course, there’s always going to be another level.

I’d say it’s down to Martinelli and what he wants, you know, it’s natural for players like him to think about teams such as Real Madrid, the size and stature of that club, and how it was maybe a childhood dream to play for them.

I personally believe that Martinelli still has another level within himself that he’s yet to find, because he’s still so young and he’s developing. He’s improving with every single game, and if Arsenal can keep hold of him, they have a top, top player who can bring so much happiness to the fans in the shape of trophies. Arsenal have to do everything within their power to keep Gabriel Martinelli.

There’s always going to be talk around him. Even in Brazil, people are wondering where his next move is going to be. Arsenal must do everything they can to keep hold of him, because he’s an amazing player and I’m confident there’s another level he can reach.

Casemiro is the best Brazilian in the Premier League

I have so many Brazilian friends still playing in the Premier League so it’s very hard to pick a standout player. There are a lot of young boys coming through who are right up there for me. A lot of players are so important for their teams but maybe play a different role for the national team.

The likes of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Antony have been incredible so far this season. I feel like my back is literally against a wall when I’m being asked to pick a standout player, because there are so many talented Brazilians in England right now. But, for me, one player who has made the most impact is Casemiro. He is solid,and he’s a great addition, not only to Manchester United, but to the Premier League as well.

Brazil’s dancing celebrations have been blown out of proportion

I think it’s completely fair that Brazil are favourites to win the World Cup. As a Brazilian, I believe in this side. I have a lot of faith in this team. Other teams have played really, really well, but I think the result against South Korea earlier this week showed everyone just what this Brazil side are capable of doing. As a Brazilian, I’m really hopeful for us to get that sixth star on our shirt!

When I scored my goal against Barcelona, I celebrated by dancing… and that time it wasn’t disrespectful! I danced because I had already arranged with my brother and my friends that I’d do it if I scored. So when I scored that beautiful goal against them, I danced.

In Brazil, everyone is crazy for TikTok – I’m talking to the point where you could be driving down the road or walking in the street and you’ll see lots and lots of people recording themselves dancing. It’s a huge trend in our country, so that’s why the players did the dance against South Korea. It’s part of our game and our culture. It’s better to celebrate like this than provoking other supporters and causing problems that way.

We’ve seen so many supporters dancing around the stadiums, in particular Brazilian fans, because it’s part of our culture. When you’re winning games it’s a happy moment for everybody, and when we’re happy, we dance. To be fair, I’m also aware – as I’m sure the team are too – that if any team scores a goal against Brazil, they’ll probably dance to provoke us!

It’s just part of our game, but I believe it’s been blown hugely out of proportion.