At eight years old, a small Flamengo fan from Ramos, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, went to try out for Flamengo. Encouraged by his grandfather, Marinho, and his mother, Monique, Joãozinho faced many hardships crossing the city aboard Rio's public transport, before writing his name in the history of his beloved club. This Saturday (29), João Gomes became part of a select group: those who were champions of America wearing the Sacred Mantle.

From his first game with the professional team, a 3-1 victory over Junior Barranquilla in the 2020 Libertadores group stage, it took only about a year for the athlete to become the darling of the nation, participating in the Brasileirão (2020), the Supercopa do Brasil (2021), and the Carioca (2021) victories. In 2022, João was one of the athletes with the most minutes on the field for the team that won the Copa do Brasil and the CONMEBOL Libertadores, representing the "Garotos do Ninho" very well among a cast of great national and international soccer stars - our "purebred pitbull," as Flamengo fans called it.

After training futsal in Gávea, the boy moved to Vargem Grande, home to the George Helal Training Center, known as Ninho do Urubu. In a magical year for the red-and-black professional soccer team, João, still in the U-20s, also shone among the juniors, winning the Brazilian Championship, the Carioca Championship, and the Brazilian Super Cup in 2019. 

If, in 2021, João watched the Libertadores final from the stands and returned home a frustrated fan, this year the story had a happy ending. From the field, the midfielder sweated the Mantle not by cheering, but by playing. And, after the final lap of the clock, he lifted the most coveted trophy on the continent, this time in the role of a fulfilled athlete, exchanging the cement steps of the Montevideo Centenario Stadium for the green of the grass at the Monumental Stadium in Guayaquil.

João Gomes's strong connection to Flamengo and his family is forever etched on his skin: on his arm, the Flamengo fan has a tattoo depicting a young man holding hands with his grandfather, carrying a soccer ball, heading toward Maracanã Stadium. The design also includes a sign for the bus stop that took them there every day, carrying a packed lunch and a dream on their feet. Today, that dream couldn't be more real.