Alexsandro sold litter to provide for his family. Now he’s in the Brazil team

Alexsandro’s road to the top was tough – picking through rubbish, jobs on building sites and being rejected by almost every club in Brazil – but he would not let his family downIn 2021, Alexsandro wrote down five dreams in his notebook: to marry and have children with his wife, to live in a big house, to take his family out of the favela, to play for a big club and to save some money for his holidays. This year, he has been called up to the Brazil squad for the first time, and now hopes to play at the 2026 World Cup. “Now that I’ve turned those human dreams into reality, it is time to work on my professional dreams even more,” says the Lille defender.Alexsandro, who grew up the eldest son of a single mother in a poor family, knew the meaning of the word work. They lived in the Dique II community, a favela to the north of Rio de Janeiro, where they had to find items in the “Rampa”, a rubbish tip, to make ends meet. His whole family worked by recycling things. They picked up plastic, iron and copper, which they sold to make money for food. Continue reading...

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