People ask me why I still play at 39.It's because I love this game'

Veteran full-back Alves was a surprise pick but he believes he is part of the strongest Brazil squad of recent years

- Sid Lowe

It doesn't take much to get Dani Alves going. It doesn't take anything in fact: sometimes just a hello will do. The Brazilian is laughing before the first question. Laughing? He's cackling. "Let's go!" he says and he's off, charging all over the place, a little like he plays. Like he used to, at least.

There is a moment in the middle of a conversation that crashes by, virtually every word an excuse to crack up, grin never wiped from his face, when he says: "I think people are confused: people think football's played inside those four white lines and it's not; football's played in the dressing room."

Hearing him say it, the way he says it, enthusiasm overflowing, taking him to Qatar makes perfect sense. But while that matters, don't think that's the only thing that attracted the seleção to the 39-year-old who was last seen in the middle of the Pumas midfield in Mexico, hasn't played since September and could only train with Barcelona's B team. Winner of 124 caps and of 49 trophies - his calculation - the Brazil head coach, Tite, calls him an "animal".

Alves claims not having a competitive game in two months might even be a good thing "when you play the risk of injury increases", he laughs - and says: "Mentally and physically I'm ready to help and not just from outside [the pitch] but inside. When you have a 'good foot', it's like riding a bike: you never forget." Alves missed the 2018 World Cup through injury and says "that hurt but I don't sink in my own pity".

He was determined not to miss this, the last time. "I don't think I'll be at the next one: I didn't know if they would want me at this one, so imagine the next.

"People ask me why I still play at 39. Because I love this game. I love it. I'm not here to waste time. I loved football when they didn't pay me; now they do, great, but I play football because of the feelings it provokes."

Has your game changed, though?