Despite Brazil unceremoniously crashing out of the World Cup to Croatia, a few Selecao stars still managed to make a good account of themselves, with Richarlison topping that list.
Many eyebrows were raised at Richarlison’s selection ahead of Gabriel Jesus as Brazil’s frontman, owing to a lot of his tame spell with Tottenham Hotspur thus far this season.
But with 4 solid performances in Qatar, the 25-year-old managed to clamp down on the noise, and instead earned praise from even the sternest of doubters.
His tournament highlights included a jaw-dropping volley against Serbia and a wonderful team goal against South Korea, which reminded fans that Joga Bonito is alive and kicking.
As the tournament progressed, the perception around Richarlison seemed to change for the better, with more and more fans realizing that there’s more to the forward than the ‘diving cheat’ they were previously accustomed to.
And while the football fraternity was collectively warming up to the Brazilian, a new section of die-hard Richarlison fans revealed themselves.
Now, we could hand you 10 tries at guessing who this faction is, but we’re pretty confident that no one can figure it out, simply due to the unlikely nature of this crossover.
The Richarlison hive’s newest residents are none other than KPOP stans.
That’s right, when they aren’t holding down the fort for some boy band on Twitter or gushing at the thought of KPOP’s latest power couple, KPOP fans are busy stanning Richarlison.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how the crossover came to fruition. Perhaps it has a bit to do with Richarlison’s friendship with South Koren idol Son Heung-Min, or maybe they just like the Brazilian’s vibes.
What we do know for sure is that KPOP stans are firmly on the Richarlison brigade.
The 25-year-old is already featured on KPOP-Esque photocards, and is even the subject of some…erm fan fiction?
Fans online were as puzzled as we were, absolutely nobody had Richarlison being a KPOP-idol on their bingo cards.
Yet, here we are.
As far as fanbases go, there’s none more desirable than KPOP stans.
Having them on your corner usually ensures that the online discourse is all positive, albeit with a bit of romanticism laced in.
He’s got the KPOP faction, the Joga Bonito advocates, and even the notoriously critical Brazilians back home.
Richarlison might just have more fans than naysayers, but a bit of diving will quickly change that.