3–0 victory. In the semi-final round against Uruguay on 26 June, Paulinho netted in the 86th minute to give Brazil a 2–1 win and book the host country a spot in the final. In the final, Brazil outclassed Spain, beating the World and two-time defending European champions by a score of 3–0. For his efforts throughout the tournament, Paulinho received the Bronze Ball as the competition's third best player. 2014 World Cup Paulinho started in Brazil's 5–0 friendly win against South Africa on 5 March 2014. On 2 June, he was named in manager Scolari's 23-man squad that would participate at the 2014 World Cup on home soil. On 8 July, he appeared as a second-half substitute in the 7–1 semi-final defeat to eventual champions Germany. Four days later, he started in the bronze medal match against the Netherlands, which ended in a 3–0 loss. 2018 World Cup In the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup Paulinho scored his first ever career hat-trick in a match away against Uruguay. Brazil had initially gone behind but came back for their first time anyone had won in Uruguay since the qualifying round had started. In May 2018 he was named in Tite's final 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 27 June, he scored in Brazil's final group match, a 2–0 win over Serbia, to send his team through to the knock-out stages of the competition. Style of play A quick, hard-working, and energetic midfielder, Paulinho has been described as a box-to-box midfielder, with powerful running and good movement into the box. He also offers a useful presence in set piece situations at both ends of the pitch. Possessing good feet, physical strength, good ball-winning abilities, and an eye for goal from midfield, as well as a strong positional sense and an ability to start attacking plays after breaking down possession, he is a well-rounded player who is capable of playing in several midfield positions, and has also been used as a central or defensive midfielder. Career statistics Club International Appearances and goals by national team and year Honours Corinthians Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2011 Campeonato Paulista: 2013 Copa Libertadores: 2012 FIFA Club World Cup: 2012 Guangzhou Evergrande Chinese Super League: 2015, 2016, 2019 Chinese FA Cup: 2016 Chinese FA Super Cup: 2016, 2017 AFC Champions League: 2015 Barcelona La Liga: 2017–18 Copa del Rey: 2017–18 Brazil