YOUTH IN PLAY

Nearly 300 Africans and South-Americans to date started to play football in the European leagues when they were under 18 years old. They arrive primarily from the former European colonies such as Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Senegal or Nigeria. FIFA prohibits the transfer of minors, but there are many exceptions.

“I thought that getting to Europe was like reaching the sky. The notion I had was that people there have everything. That they didn’t need to try, they didn’t have to do anything.”

Francisco Júnior

The news is full of stories about minors, from Africa and Latin America, who arrive in Europe with a dream of becoming professional football players. But who are these children? What stories do they have to tell? Why did they come? What role do their families and agents play in the whole process?

Youth in Play, an investigative journalism piece partially financed by the Journalism Fund, answers these questions and tells us how Francisco, from Guinea-Bissau, Cassiano, from Brazil, and Valentine, from Nigeria, arrived in Europe without the knowledge of FIFA Law.

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Team

Sofia da Palma RodriguesReporter

Sara MoreiraData Analyst

Diogo CardosoDirector of Photography

Ricardo Venâncio LopesPhotography | Video

Nogueira LopesIllustrator

Elisabete MonteiroDesign | Infographics

Tiago DiasDesign | Infographics

MEDIA COVERAGE

Journalism Fund - Conference

Público - Newspaper

SIC - TV Broadcast

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