{"id":714188,"date":"2026-06-04T09:02:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/714188\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:02:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:02:24","slug":"brazilian-players-from-a-rio-de-janeiro-favela-find-hope-and-opportunities-thanks-to-soccer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/714188\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazilian players from a Rio de Janeiro favela find hope and opportunities thanks to soccer"},"content":{"rendered":"

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) \u2014 When Brazilian<\/a> Jo\u00e3o Victor Gon\u00e7alves began playing soccer in one of Rio de Janeiro<\/a> \u2019s poorest and most violent favelas, little did he know the game would one day allow him to travel abroad and play in an international competition.<\/p>\n

Last month, along with nine other young boys, he flew to Mexico to represent Brazil in the Street Child World Cup, a tournament with teams from 30 countries composed of boys from impoverished backgrounds, organized ahead of this year\u2019s FIFA World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never could have imagined that one day this would happen, that I would represent my country, doing what I most love \u2014 playing soccer \u2014 in another country,\u201d said Gon\u00e7alves, who is 18. The Brazil team went undefeated and won the tournament, enhancing the thrill of the experience.<\/p>\n

Like many Brazilians, Gon\u00e7alves and his teammates grew up kicking a ball around and closely following members of the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o, Brazil\u2019s national soccer team. They dream of one day becoming professional soccer<\/a> players like their heroes.<\/p>\n

The project has already changed their lives, they say.<\/p>\n

Beyond being the gateway to climatic moments, the Street Child United Brazil project in the Penha complex of favelas allows participants to at least momentarily escape from everyday life marked by deprivation and violence, fostering a sense of safety, belonging and hope.<\/p>\n

The initiative began in 2014, when Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup. Today, some 100 youths take part in the year-round training sessions that take place four days a week. The project welcomes girls and boys aged 6 and above.<\/p>\n

Playing soccer represents \u201clove, passion, the realization of dreams,\u201d said Ryan Mercedes, a 17-year-old who also went to Mexico. \u201cWhen we enter the field, it\u2019s time for us to have fun and be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

But soccer enthusiast Rafael Gomes says that the reality of life in the favela has sometimes caught up with them. The soccer fans have had to at least once interrupt a game due to a police operation in the favela. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were training when all of a sudden there were shots, we had to run and stay in the corners,\u201d said Gomes.<\/p>\n

Last year, more than 120 people died in a deadly police operation<\/a> in Penha and the neighboring Alemao complex of favelas targeting members of the criminal group Red Command.<\/p>\n

The drug-trafficking group \u2014 which the Trump administration recently decided to classify<\/a> as a foreign terrorist organization \u2014 controls parts of the favela. It represents a temptation for minors who might be drawn to crime as a quick way of making cash.<\/p>\n

Drica Santos, a coordinator for the project, says that the organization aims to offer an alternative to that way of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the project didn\u2019t exist, we would have lost a lot of lives,\u201d said Santos. \u201cWe\u2019re not going to save everyone, but the greatest number of children that we manage to save \u2014 that don\u2019t get involved in drug-trafficking \u2014 that will already be our victory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carlos Cassiano da Silva, a community leader in the favela, says that parents are grateful for the project because they know that their children will be occupied for a certain amount of time and stay out of trouble.<\/p>\n

The initiative also casts Penha in a good light, da Silva added. \u201cMany people aren\u2019t used to seeing Penha in a positive manner, they don\u2019t know of the good things we have here too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the World Cup approaches, Gon\u00e7alves said he hoped that the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o would follow in his teammates\u2019 footsteps and bring back the trophy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did our part. Now it\u2019s up to the Brazilian national team,\u201d Gon\u00e7alves said.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Follow AP\u2019s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/latin-america<\/a><\/p>\n

Diarlei Rodrigues And El\u00e9onore Hughes, The Associated Press<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Halifax as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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