It was a historic year for FC Dallas striker Jesus Ferreira. The 21-year-old star recently won the FC Dallas Offensive Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. These team awards came after receiving 2022 MLS Young Player of the Year honors and receiving the Ranked #1 in MLSsoccer.com’s 2022 22 Under 22 Rankings.
He will be looking forward to building on that momentum at the World Cup in the United States opener against Wales next Monday. For our readers who don’t know the importance of the World Cup, Jesus Ferreira has expressed the value of the tournament in very simple terms.
“I think every player or child who plays football dreams of one day playing in a World Cup and representing their country,” Ferreira said. “It’s an opportunity we have this year. I think the World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments in our time, and it’s something a lot of people watch.”
Muscle and Fitness spoke to Jesus Ferreira about the key preparation for him ahead of the World Cup, bouncing back from a one goal and one assist season in 2020, how his partnership with cheribundi makes life easier and the other changes he has made to be his best on the pitch.
Everything is mental for Jesus Ferreira
It’s more about preparing yourself mentally for what’s next. The World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments and everyone needs to be 100% focused to be able to perform at the highest level. It’s just preparing mentally because it’s going to be tough. Every World Cup team is there for a reason. They are there because they are good enough to compete in the World Cup. It doesn’t matter the name or the players, that’s how the teams are going to behave. For us, of course, USA is a young team. But with a lot of energy and the thirst to win things. We are ready to play any match against anyone to show that we belong in the World Cup, and we can compete with anyone.
Obviously, there are comments, publications everywhere on social networks. For me, it’s knowing that the most important thing is the coaches and the people around me. Their opinions are the ones that matter, and that’s how I manage to stay focused. Whatever the coach has to say to me, that’s what I’m going to work on. If I have to do something different, that’s what I’ll do. Otherwise, I will continue to do what I know how to do and continue to play football as I know how to do it and continue to perform.
Jesus Ferreira bounces back after a difficult year
It was a tough year for me, but I knew I couldn’t let this year repeat itself. I wanted to be a player who could bounce back and play at the level I knew I could play. It was to score goals, get assists and help the team win. I had to change things. I changed my diet, found someone to help me mentally, and just little things to help my game in the long run. I’m just excited to be able to show that I can be a guy who can bounce back from any situation. To have one goal, one assist all year and be able to improve it to eight assists the following year is crazy. I’m just happy to show that I can be a player who can take things, learn from them, move on and not dwell and keep improving.
The power of tart cherry juice
This year has been important in my career. I think making a lot of changes in the way I eat to find a guy that helps me mentally – they’re all important to my success. I needed something that would help me in my recovery. In partnership with Cheribundi, it was a product that I had been using for a long time. I’m just excited to be able to be the last partner, to be able to use the product and show it off. Obviously, for me, the main thing is to be able to recover while I sleep. Sleep is the most important thing, so I use their sleep plan the most, and it’s just exciting that there’s a product out there that can help me be the best gamer I can be.
It gives me what I need to recover and what I need to take care of my body. Knowing that there is a great year ahead, there are important things that I want to accomplish, pursue and be able to achieve. They came in and helped me with that. Obviously, no one wants to get hurt, and they help prevent that. I’m just happy to be able to partner with a company that can help me with anything I need off the pitch and make my job easier. I have a small package that I can take everywhere with me. It’s easy to carry with me and take wherever I go.
As a footballer, after games you always have that energy and it’s hard to sleep. What Cheribundi does for me is essential for my recovery and to be able to come back next week and perform. The package gives me an extra 90 minutes of sleep and it helps me in every way. I’m just glad I can trust and have something at home that will help me recover and be a better player every day I wake up.
Jesus Ferreira is fed correctly at the right time
Getting a chef who can help me manage portions, see how I can gain or lose weight, see if I need iron or anything else – that has helped me a lot. There are things I don’t like to eat and that’s where he comes in and helps me see what another option is for that. If it’s a vegetable or some other protein, he’ll research that and provide it to me. I’m happy to have someone who can help me perform at the highest level.
I really didn’t eliminate anything crazy. I think one of the hardest things I have to do now is make sure I eat at the right time. I learned that timing is the key to gaining weight or whatever it is you are chasing. I didn’t know that you had to eat at certain times or eat a certain portion at that time to be able to perform and gain weight in my case. I kind of noticed that timing is everything.
As footballers we burn a lot of energy. I just need to make sure I can have the best meals and my body is in good condition to perform. There are drills where I make sure I’m mentally focused on what the next few weeks have for me and that I stay on top.
Dad knows best when it comes to Jesus Ferreira
Ferreira’s father, David, was a former professional player and his teachings to Jesus during his youth are still embedded in him today.
Go out and play every game like it’s your last. Of course, he was playing dad to get better, and you have to eat your greens. It’s something I’m learning now. I need to know what I put in my body and what will benefit me. But I think the most important thing is to go there and play as if it were the last. It’s making sure that I give everything to the game and that I give everything to the team. This is the most important thing because the energy is contagious. I want to be a player who can always bring that energy and make the team feed off of it and perform really well as a team.
Follow Jesus Ferreira on Instagram @jesusf45
