Goals for Brazil and Brentford, an unheard of combination until this season, have put Igor Thiago in dreamworld as the World Cup approaches.
The 24-year-old striker, in his first Premier League game since his debut and first goal for Brazil last month, grabbed a double for Brentford in their 2-2 home draw against Everton on Saturday.
Thiago's glancing second effort, the reward for being in the right place at the right time, made him the club's highest ever scorer in a Premier League season – ahead of their former players Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney.
The tally of 21 is only one goal behind Manchester City's league-leading scorer Erling Haaland and current favourite for the Golden Boot.
'HE'S ON CLOUD NINE'
"He's grown as the season's gone on naturally with the journey that he's been on," said Brentford manager Keith Andrews.
"The dream of playing for your country, quite an iconic jersey to wear, was special for all of us and I think he's on Cloud Nine.
-- NIGERIA ONLY --
"There's no doubt about that. Hopefully that can continue for the rest of the season and beyond."
Thiago scored a penalty in his second appearance for Brazil in a friendly against Croatia in Florida late last month but even if his inclusion in the final World Cup squad remains uncertain, he is pushing hard.
"I'm really happy with what God has given to me this season. I'm just living like a dream here, so I just enjoy every moment here," he told Sky Sports on Saturday.
"Can I catch Haaland in the Golden Boot race? In Jesus' name, I can, and I will fight with my whole life for that."
PLACE IN EUROPE BECKONS
Saturday's game was between two teams fighting for a possible place in Europe – Brentford seventh and Everton eighth – after starting the season among those fancied for relegation.
While Andrews had resisted thinking too far into the future, Everton manager David Moyes has made no secret of his ambition to take the Toffees into Europe.
A win for either would have lifted them level on points with fifth-placed Liverpool, if only temporarily.
"It's probably the best chance we’ve had for a long time,” Moyes had said on Friday.
"But the words ‘Champions League’ probably makes me shake a wee bit at the thought of that.
"I’ve been fortunate enough to play in the other competitions quite recently and I know that if we were able to get there, we’d be able to hold our own in certain levels of it," added the former West Ham United manager who lifted the Conference League trophy with the London club in 2023.
"If you said Europe in any competition, if it was the tiddlywinks European competition we got in, we’d be excited about it because Evertonians know we want to get back in among it. We want to start getting talked about again."
Saturday's draw left everything to play for, even if Everton twice had to come from behind with the equaliser hitting the net after the clock had already ticked into added time at the Gtech Community Stadium.