Tottenham Hotspur star Richarlison opens up about his mental health issues
Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison talks about his battle with depression (Image: Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur star Richarlison has admitted he considered crashing his car into a wall during his battle with depression. The forward was deeply affected by the pressure surrounding him after Brazil’s exit from the 2022 World Cup.
From the outside, the World Cup was a positive experience for the 28-year-old, who scored the winning goal with a bicycle kick against Serbia. The Spurs forward has been given the honor of leading the five-time World Cup winners.
He scored a total of three goals, but could not prevent his country from losing to Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals. But the disappointment took a toll on his mental health, and Richarlison described how his thinking spiraled into a vicious cycle.
“One day I was driving and thought I might hit a wall,” Richarlison told France Football. “Today, when I think about it, I tell myself it makes no sense.”
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He added: “After the 2022 World Cup, I fell into depression. All kinds of misfortunes befell me: defeat, betrayal by my agent, family problems, physical setbacks. For a year and a half, I was hit one blow after another every day.”
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The striker signed for Spurs from Everton in the summer of 2022 and finished his first season with just one league goal. However, by working with a psychologist, Richarlison rediscovered a more positive way of thinking.
“It was the first time I had to deal with so many problems,” he explained. “In the midst of all that chaos, I found an honest lawyer, got my family and assets in order, worked with a psychologist, and most importantly, met my wife.”
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the former Everton icon plans to follow Manchester United midfielder Casemiro’s advice and not look at social media if he is selected for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad. But this isn’t the first time Richarlison has given insight into his struggle with depression.
Richarlison struggled after Brazil were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup (Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
In a heartfelt interview with ESPN Brazil in March 2024, the Spurs striker said: “I was at my breaking point, you know? I don’t know, I’m not going to talk about suicide, but I was depressed there and wanted to give up.”
“All I can say today is find a psychologist. If you need a psychologist, find a psychologist, because it’s good to open up and talk to that person like that.”
“I’m here today to thank[the psychologist]for taking this into the football world, into the world and off the pitch, because it’s so important and whether you like it or not, it saves lives.”
“I used to have this kind of prejudice. I thought it was nonsense, I thought I was crazy. There are people in my family who think that if you go to a psychologist, you’re crazy or people think you’re crazy. But I discovered this and I thought it was great. It was really the best discovery. It was the best discovery of my life so far.”
Richarlison has scored 10 goals in 38 appearances for Spurs this season. He most recently played for Brazil in October 2025.
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