Days after letting the Saudi Pro League title slip through his fingers, Bento has been hit by further disappointment after missing out on selection for the World Cup.
Al Nassr’s No 1 was conspicuous by his absence when Carlo Ancelotti named his 26-man Brazil squad for this summer’s tournament in North America on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper has played seven times for Brazil, with almost all those appearances coming since he moved to Riyadh to play for Nassr in the summer of 2024.
He has been largely excellent in club football in Saudi Arabia this season, helping his side to the brink of the title.
He has kept 13 clean sheets, and Nassr have the second meanest defence in the SPL, with 27 goals conceded from 33 matches. Only Edouard Mendy, of third-placed Al Ahli Saudi, has better statistics.
However, Bento’s campaign will most likely be remembered for the one notable – and potentially seminal – mistake he made. That was the remarkable late gaffe in the Riyadh derby against Al Hilal last week.
Victory in that game would have clinched the title for Nassr, and, late into injury time, they were well placed to start the celebrations.
After French defender Mohamed Simakan had put them into the lead in the first half, Nassr had controlled the remainder of the game.
Deep into stoppage time at the end of the game, Hilal launched a hopeful long throw into the box.
Despite no pressure from opposition forwards, Bento spilled a straightforward catch and the ball looped into the goal.
Since then, Nassr have faced a further blow, after they suffered a shock defeat to Japanese side Gamba Osaka in the final of the AFC Champions League Two on Saturday.
Now Bento has had a further letdown after he was overlooked for his national team.
Ancelotti instead selected Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, Ederson, the multiple trophy winner with Manchester City who now plays for Fenerbahce, and Weverton of Gremio.
Bento can still redeem himself after that triple disappointment and end the season on a high this week.
His Nassr side are still well placed to claim the SPL title, as their fate remains in their hands with 90 minutes of the season left.
They need to win against Damac – who are battling relegation, two points above the drop zone – at Al Awwal Park on Thursday night to be sure of winning the league.
If they fail to do that, Hilal will beat them to the title if they take a win away at mid-table Al Fayha.
Although Bento missed out, the SPL will be represented in Brazil’s squad at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
There are two players based in Saudi Arabia in Ancelotti’s squad – the same number as have been drawn from each of the French, Italian and Spanish leagues.
Fabinho, the captain of outgoing SPL champions Al Ittihad, has been selected, as has Roger Ibanez, the Ahli centre-back.
Like Bento, Ibanez has managed to remain in the thoughts of Brazil’s bosses despite plying his trade on the other side of the world since 2023.
That was less than a year after he had made his debut for the Selecao while playing his club football in Italy for Roma.
Since his transfer to Jeddah, he has become hugely popular with Ahli’s fanbase, having played a central role in their back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite titles.
After making the cut for the World Cup, Ibanez said it was “definitely the meaning of a dream come true”.
“It is with great gratitude that I look back and am proud of the journey so far,” Ibanez wrote on social media.
“I know I did a lot to be in this select group. And it is a huge honour. Thank you to my family, my friends, my teammates who were part of this walk.
“I will do everything possible to bring the sixth star to Brazil. This is my lifelong dream to be in a World Cup. God bless Brazil.”
