Kerolin is set to play for the Seleção Brasileira against Argentina on Tuesday, August 13, at 20h30 in Arena de Pernambuco, with her return to this stage underlining just how far she has come. For a player whose career has already included serious health problems and a two-year suspension, this is another important moment in a long and demanding journey.
The forward’s story has never been straightforward. At 12 years old, she spent three months in hospital with osteomyelitis and cellulitis in her leg, a setback that would have stopped many young players before they had even begun. By 16, she was in the youth setup of Valinhos Futebol Clube, already pushing towards the professional game and building the base for what would become ten years of career experience.
From Ponte Preta to the Seleção Brasileira
Kerolin’s breakthrough came in 2017, when she scored ten goals in 21 games for Ponte Preta and helped the club reach the semifinals of the Campeonato Paulista. That form earned recognition quickly, and in 2018 she was called up for the first time to the Seleção Brasileira for a friendly against England.
There was more progress to come, but also another major setback. In 2019, Kerolin was announced by Palmeiras, although she did not play an official match because of a positive doping test from the previous year. The suspension that followed lasted two years, forcing her away from the game at a point when her career should have been moving forward.
A career rebuilt step by step
Rather than define her, that period became part of the wider story. In September 2021, Kerolin returned to the Seleção Brasileira for two friendlies against Argentina, and in 2021 she also moved to Madrid CFF in Spain. By 2022, she had reached another stage in her career, showing that her route back had not just been about recovery, but about re-establishing herself at a higher level.
That is what makes Tuesday’s match at Arena de Pernambuco meaningful. Kerolin is no longer being viewed only through the setbacks she has overcome. She is being asked to deliver for Brazil again, against a familiar opponent, in a setting that reflects her return to top-level international football.
For the Seleção Brasileira, her presence adds another layer of experience and resilience. For Kerolin, it is another chance to show that the difficult parts of her story are now behind her, and that her career still has room for more important chapters.
