Chelsea midfielder Ramires, whose cool, chipped finish helped down mighty Barcelona in the Champions League, could have played his way into Brazil's 2014 World Cup squad.
Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires celebrates after scoring against Barcelona during the UEFA Champions League second leg semi-final football match Barcelona against Chelsea at the Cam Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 24. Ramires, whose cool, chipped finish helped down mighty Barcelona in the Champions League, could have played his way into Brazil's 2014 World Cup squad.
"Ramires has been playing well for a while now and he has been on our minds since the start," said Brazil coach Mano Menezes.
Ramires, 25, has played 27 times for Brazil, scoring two goals, since his 2009 debut.
"People don't understand that his absence from the last two friendly matches was because we have seen enough of him, we have had plenty of time to watch him play," added the coach of a player whose last cap was against Germany in August 2011.