Brazilian football legend and two-time FIFA World Cup winner Cafu spent Saturday in Mumbai meeting young players from the city’s underprivileged communities. The former Brazil captain joined a friendly match with girls from the Dreaming in Slums Foundation and inspired them to pursue their dreams through sports and education.
Watch: Two-time FIFA World Cup winner Cafu inspires Mumbai’s young footballers from slums
Cafu, the former right-back, praised the talent and passion he saw on the pitch and urged the children to keep combining education with football. Cafu, who captained Brazil to the 202 FIFA World Cup title. As quoted by PTI, Cafu said:
“The advice I have for the children who are studying and playing football is to continue on this path.”
Cafu, who has represented his nation in four FIFA World Cups between 1994 and 2006, added:
“Sport is one of the greatest tools for social inclusion that exists in the world. Sport brings culture, education, and socialization. It also brings a lot of respect. I think this mixture between study and football is perfect.”
The visit highlighted how high-profile athletes can support grassroots efforts to give underprivileged children opportunities through sport and education. Meanwhile, India is all set to play the five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil in a friendly at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on October 3.
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