Guilherme Madruga will forever look back on 15 January 2024 with the fondest of memories. This was the day the Brazilian attended The Best FIFA Football Awards™ ۲۰۲۳ ceremony in London, saw his idols up close, won the FIFA Puskás Award and was announced as a new signing by Brazilian top-flight club Cuiaba.

“Today is a unique day in my life. It will certainly be remembered by everyone who has been alongside me since the start,” said the shy Madruga on stage in the English capital, when receiving the award that changed his life.

To understand this turnaround we have to go back to 27 June 2023. At the time Madruga was still under contract with Desportivo Brasil and was on loan at Botafogo from the city of Ribeirao Preto (SP). His dream was to be signed on a permanent deal and make his father proud, who had wanted to be a professional footballer but had not made the grade.

Back then, the young man was modest in his aims. Then came the wonder-goal, a stupendous overhead kick from outside the box that whistled over the goalkeeper into the net.

A few months later, in September, the then 22-year-old was among the 11 initial nominees for the FIFA Puskás Award, which is given to the scorer of the most aesthetically-pleasing goal in the world during the qualifying period.

In November, as the season was reaching its climax in Brazil, Madruga received a special birthday present when he was signed on a permanent basis by Botafogo-SP.

One objective had been achieved, but destiny would see Madruga’s life take another turn. On 15 January 2024, a few hours before The Best FIFA ceremony got under way, the up-and-coming Cuiaba, who this year will compete in Brazil’s Serie A for the fourth time in their history, announced they had signed the versatile Madruga, who can play in both defence and midfield.

“When I scored that goal I was on loan and I just wanted to be bought by the club. That was my only objective. Since then, I was bought but then sold again, and now it has been announced that I will play in Brazil’s top division. It’s not at all what I had planned, but it’s all for the better,” explained the player, who was understandably nervous on stage.

After all, he was talking to the entire world and to an audience containing Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, who watched on with a beaming smile of admiration. It was an experience Madruga could enjoy thanks to a piece of magic so typical of Brazilian football.

“This kind of creativity is always on show in Brazilian football. I try to dribble and be creative, and I just tried to pull something out of the hat and got lucky. I had Rivaldo and Ronaldinho Gaucho for inspiration, as they scored similar types of goals. So I believe I’m one of them in terms of the creativity of that moment,” he told FIFA.
Although he expressed his admiration for the idols who made history on Brazilian soil and overseas, the player became truly emotional when he spoke about his family. Encouraged by his father, who climbed on top of trucks and scaled floodlights to watch his son train, and who took a mattress with him when he went to play football with his sons so they could rest when they took a break, and inspired by his mother, who cried because she missed him and who now cries with joy, Madruga dedicated his speech to them.

“Dad, all of those who called you crazy for taking me to train in the sand when I was 13 years old – they’re not going to call you crazy any more. Mum, all the times you hid yourself away and wept while I was far way were worth it. My brother, who’s here with me today. I dedicate this to my family who are in Brazil, all together. It’s a dream to be here, among my idols. Thank you God. Thank you everybody.”