A photocopier in a stationary store was happy in life. He enjoyed the work, he really liked the people he worked with, and the hours enabled him to watch his beloved Flamengo on weekends.
Then an innocuous invitation rocked his world. It was to play beach soccer. It was love at first sight.
It was also, figuratively, love at first sight for a Carioca. As Rodrigo walked along Copacabana Beach to training with Botafogo, he passed a girl on her way to training with a rival beach soccer side. Viviani developed a crush and, acting upon it, decided to join Botafogo to get closer to her beau.
Rodrigo and Viviani are now married, have been together for over a decade, and have a four-year-old son, Bernardo. She still fizzes home volleys for Botafogo. He now fulfils the childhood dream of sporting the red-and-black hoops of Flamengo, as well as representing Russian heavyweights Kristall and Brazil.
The former photocopier now wants to Xerox a dream he had on Bahamian sand in 2017 in Dubai next month: winning the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™.
Rodrigo chats to FIFA about that quest and being named as one of the three finalists for the Best Player 2023 award, which will be seized at the Beach Soccer Stars Gala on 12 February.
Were you nervous waiting for the three finalists to be announced?
Rodrigo: I wasn’t nervous, but my wife was! I really wanted to hear the announcement, I was hoping to be included, but I wasn’t nervous. My dad, my mum and my wife were on edge. Especially my wife. She follows my career intently, she knows what I put into this, how dedicated I am. And beach soccer is her life too, she plays for Botafogo. I’m in Sao Paulo with the Seleção at the moment, and my wife’s at home in Rio. That’s probably for the best or she would have had me on edge! She was really, really happy.
How did you feel when you saw your name?
It’s a wonderful sensation. I’m really happy to once again be among the final nominees for the Best Player award. It’s really gratifying to be able to represent Brazil in this battle. When you think of the thousands of great players there are, this privilege is really pleasing. I thank everyone who helped me: my coaches, my family, my team-mates who helped me get here. In the day-to-day struggle, in the rain or the sun, we were working to get better.
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