Have you ever imagined seeing Rafael Nadal play football? This scene will come to life in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, Brazil’s premier youth football tournament, kicking off this Thursday (February 2).
However, it’s not exactly what you might be thinking. The player in question is Rafael Dencezuk Nadal, registered by Botafogo-SP for the competition.
The forward was born on May 17, 2005, in Ponta Grossa-PR, making him 19 years old, and plays as a striker. His career also includes stints at São Paulo, Azuriz-PR, and Hope International.
When it comes to paying homage or sheer coincidence, one must wonder: when center-forward Rafael Nadal was born, the Spanish tennis star was already a young man with many titles in the world of rackets. The legend had already triumphed in both the Davis Cup and Roland Garros. There are no indications that the name given to the forward was meant as a tribute to the idol of the court.
