Around 1850, brothers Richard and Karl Wendelstandt left Germany for Uruguay, dreaming of a better life. They purchased farms in the border region between the present-day departments of Paysandu and Soriano, and there, along with other German families, began to form the colony of Nueva Melhem.

The Wendelstandt family believed in the two brothers' ambition, and with their investment in the region, the community prospered and developed, being named Pueblo Nueva Berlín in 1875 and promoted to Villa Nueva Berlín almost a century later, in 1974. The small town of just over 2 inhabitants saw the birth of its most famous citizen on the first day of June 1994. Alfredo de Arrascaeta was a jockey and convinced his wife, Victoria, to honor his invincible horse by naming their son. Thus, Giorgian Daniel de Arrascaeta Benedetti was born with victory as his origin and destiny.

His father Alfredo's accident kept young Giorgian from a jockey career, a natural lineage also shared with his uncle and cousin. His love for horses is in his DNA, but his own racing has been on the field since he was four. Defending the colors of Pescadores Unidos de Nueva Berlín, he caught the attention of his elders with his fighting spirit and ability to improvise without losing his loyalty. 

From a young age, he demonstrated a unique style of football. The bonus of 5 Uruguayan pesos per goal scored was a short-lived incentive from his father. It became difficult to honor the commitment with the sheer number of victories. In one season, Giorgian scored 49 goals and forced his father to consider another form of support. His talent led him to Club Anglo in 2007. Maintaining his strong performances, and after several call-ups to the Rio Negro national team, he signed with Defensor Sporting in 2009. There, he lifted his first major trophy, the 2013 Torneo Clausura, and was part of the team's best-ever Libertadores campaign, reaching the semifinals in 2014. 

At 21, playing in Brazil was a bold choice amidst several offers on other continents. At Cruzeiro, he was part of a team that won two consecutive Copa do Brasil titles (2017 and 2018) and a Campeonato Mineiro (2018). 

His arrival at Flamengo in 2019, at the age of 25 and having worn the Uruguayan national team's number 10 jersey at the 2018 World Cup, was fraught with expectation. Along with Gabriel Barbosa and Bruno Henrique, also newly signed, he and Everton Ribeiro formed a historic attack, responsible for winning the Campeonato Carioca and the title, with records for wins, points, and goals scored in the current format of the Campeonato Brasileiro. 

He was the target of critics, some disparaging his football, others claiming his shyness would be an insurmountable barrier to success at the club with the World's Largest Fanbase. But little by little, Rio de Janeiro became his home, and Giorgian became Arraxca, just like that, with the distinctive X in his accent: the most Carioca Uruguayan in the country's history. 

In addition to his skill with the ball at his feet, his indestructible fighting spirit brought victory to Mengão on numerous occasions. Belief was always the fuel for goals, such as the header in the 48th minute of the second half against Vasco in the 2019 Rio Cup, the unforgettable bicycle kick against Ceará in the 51st minute of the second half in the Brasileirão that same year, and the assist for Gabigol to equalize the Libertadores final in Lima in the 43rd minute of the second half.

Three years and ten titles later, Arrascaeta is increasingly beloved by the nation and less and less of a foreigner. Like Valido, Doval, Mancuso, and Petkovic, the number 14 is already among the immortals of the game, naturalized Brazilian by the fans. Many rivals admit to watching Flamengo games because they recognize the beauty of our midfielder's football. He's not the tallest, but wins headers; he's not the fastest, but collects defenders left behind; and he's not the strongest, but only loses ball contests when fouled.

Even after winning the Campeonato Carioca, the Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa Libertadores in 2019, the Campeonato Brasileiro, the Recopa Sudamericana and the Supercopa do Brasil in 2020, the Campeonato Carioca and the Supercopa do Brasil in 2021 and the recent conquest of the Copa do Brasil in 2022, the Nation is fully aware that none of this is enough. A player like Arrascaeta, who has never been sent off, never forced a yellow card, nor hid from difficult games, won, this Saturday (29), his second CONMEBOL Libertadores with the Manto.

May your will to win, emanating from the number 10 shirts worn by Juan Schiaffino, Pedro Rocha, Ildo Maneiro, Enzo Francescoli, Rúben Paz, Fabián O'Neil and Diego Forlán, continue to guide your path, traced with much struggle and filled with glory.