Richarlison – an ace footballer with a social conscience

Bursting into international headlines with his incredible volley goal against Serbia in the World Cup Qatar group stage game last year, Brazil's Richarlison seemingly became an overnight cult figure.

While his international success seemingly came instantly, Richarlison has spent a decent amount of his career grafting in Brazil's Serie B, and there's a lot more to the talented forward than you might think.

Born on May 10, 1997, Richarlison grew up in the city of Nova Venécia, which has around 50,000 inhabitants and is 200 kilometers from the capital of Espírito Santo, Vitória. As a child, he picked up the nickmane "Charlin".

Photo: @richarlison

His parents, Vera Lucia and Antônio Carlos Andrade, supported him in his football dream from a very early age. In fact, his entire family was passionate about the sport. Richarlison is pictured here alongside his brother Rian.

Photo: Photo: @richarlison

In an interview with G1, Richarlison's father, Antônio, said: "I always thought he would end up in football, because I always liked the ball, my father and my brother too." He is pictured here celebrating with Richarlison at the Qatar Cup.

Photo: @richarlison

Richarlison's first pro experience was in América Mineiro, where he made his professional debut in July 2015. But his time there was short, lasting only one season.

His skillful contributions to the team helped them move up to the A series of the Brazilian Championship. After that, Richarlison was transferred to Fluminense, where he scored 19 goals in 67 games, in addition to winning the Primeira Liga do Brasil in 2016 and the Taça Guanabara in 2017.

By being a standout playing in the Rio de Janeiro side, Richarlison soon caught the attention of scouts in Europe, and soon enough he found himself in England. There he was picked up by Watford and made his EPL debut in August 2017, against Liverpool, in the first round of the Premier League.

The following year, in 2018, he was sold to Everton, where the youngster stayed until 2022, when he signed with Tottenham Hotspur, his current team.

His debut in the Brazilian national team was in 2019, where helped the side win the Copa América.

In 2020, Brazil took the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in Japan, with Richarlison being the top scorer in the competition, notching up 5 goals. From here he started to endear himself to fans, but not just for his on-field efforts.

Even the way he celebrated goals was noteworthy. In 2018, he did the choreography of "Dança do Pombo", music by MC Faísca and Os Perseguidores, in a game with friends and, since then, he has picked up the nickname 'pigeon'!

In addition to his good humor and skill on the ball, Richarlison backs a number of social and environmental causes. He is USP Ambassador for Research, Science and Technology, in the USP VIDA Program.

This is an action by the University of São Paulo to raise research funds to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, Richarlison has always encouraged the public to get vaccinated against the disease.

Photo: Instagram

He also took advantage of his visibility to publicize a campaign to help those affected by the rains in Petrópolis (RJ), in February 2022.

According to a report by G1, "in Mato Grosso do Sul, Richarlison visited Onçafari, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which operates in the conservation of jaguars". On the occasion, he adopted a jaguar and nicknamed it "Acerola" and said he was happy to be able to help with the conservation efforts.

Photo: @richarlison

In conversation with Ronaldo Nazário, shortly after the game against South Korea, in the Qatar Cup, Richarlison said: "Seeing you, Kaká, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, all rooting for us, that inspires us, for sure!"

Photo: Screenshot Youtube RonaldoTV

"Now it's your turn to inspire and set an example to thousands of children, in Brazil and around the world!", replied Ronaldo. Richarlison was thrilled by his football idol's presence and even had the chance to teach him how to do the "pigeon dance" (pictured)!

Photo: Screenshot Youtube RonaldoTV

What's next for Richarlison will unfold in the coming season, with the striker being linked to a potential move to Real Madrid, something he says "is a childhood dream" dream of his, the Sun reported.

If you think he's looking to bail on Spurs just yet, think again. Richarlison backed this up by declaring he needed to make it up to the north London side next season, after a less-than-impressive 2022/2023 campaign, he told the Sun.

"I have to prove why they bought me for a high price," he said. "It was a bad season for me, also due to injuries that I had at Tottenham."