Neymar Jr. Makes an Australian Boy's Dream Come True
Last Sunday was more than special for Rudy Schnepf. This 9-year-old Australian made his dream of meeting his idol, Neymar Jr., come true. In Paris, he watched the PSG vs. Lyon game in Ligue 1, and after the match, he had his long-awaited encounter.
Rudy’s story made headlines in the press and on Twitter. He made many attempts to meet his idol. The first one took place in June 2017. The family bought tickets to watch the Brazil vs. Argentina game, which took place at the stadium in Melbourne, Australia, but Neymar Jr. ended up being rested for the friendly match.
With tickets purchased three months earlier to go to Barcelona, the second attempt was very frustrating for two reasons: Neymar Jr. was no longer playing for the club, and because of the pro-independence protests taking place in the city, the fans were unable to enter the stadium. At the time, journalist Andy Mitten found the devastated family at the stadium entrance and, with the mother’s permission, tweeted about Rudy’s story. The boy’s story went viral, sparking reactions around the world.
Determined to meet Neymar Jr., Rudy and his family—at the invitation of PSG—were set to travel to France in April 2018. Rudy was finally going to meet his hero, but two months earlier, the athlete had suffered an injury and traveled to Brazil to undergo surgery.
After a year, Rudy finally fulfilled his dream of meeting the person who is his greatest role model—the one who inspires him to play soccer every day and who, just like him, is passionate about a sport that transcends all borders and unites all nations.
