Bringing flair to Samba: Following in Pelé’s footsteps, Vinícius Junior is named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for equal educational opportunities in Brazil.
On Friday, the head of UNESCO, the UN body for culture and sport, announced Vinícius Junior as their new Goodwill AmbassadorOpens in a new window for Education for All. The event took place at the training centre of Real Madrid players.
UNESCOOpens in New Window’s Director-General Audrey AzoulayOpens in the new window gave the 23-year-old winger a letter of appointment during her visit. She did this to recognise his outstanding performance on the pitch and his unwavering dedication to promoting equal educational opportunities in Brazil.
Vinius Junior: I want to be known as both a great player and a good person who wants to make a difference.
Ms. Azoulay said that the regular for the Brazil national team was “not only a great football player but also a passionate advocate for equal access to education in Brazil.”
After the famous Pelé, this is the second time in UNESCO’s history that a Brazilian football player has been named a Goodwill Ambassador.
“For a whole generation,” a role model
She said, “He is an inspiration to a whole generation, and UNESCO is honoured to have him join our important group of Goodwill Ambassadors.”
Vinícius Junior thanked the person for the honour and said that it was both a great accomplishment and a task that would last a lifetime.
“I’d like to be known as both a great player and a good citizen who wants to make a difference.” “I became dedicated to education when I was 19 years old, and with UNESCO’s help, we hope to make the world a better place through my Institute,” he said.
He started the Instituto Viní.Jr. in 2021 to help poor Brazilian kids and teens get back into school.
The centre uses the ideals of sports to encourage kids from all walks of life to go to school.
To help UNESCO reach its goal of promoting education for all, Vinícius Junior will be very important in giving talks at international conferences, interacting with Member States and the public, and backing UNESCO’s worldwide education projects.
According to UNESCO, about 250 million children and teens do not have access to schooling. This number has gone up by 6 million since 2021.
Also, by age 10, seven out of ten kids can’t read and understand a simple text. This shows how important it is to fight social injustice, which is a major cause of kids dropping out of school and not being able to learn.
