Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior sends video message to Sudanese boy
The Brazilian footballer invited Zaher, who lost his legs in a drone strike, to attend a match in Madrid.
Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has sent a personal video message to Zaher, a 13-year-old Sudanese boy who lost both his legs in a drone strike. According to BBC News, the footballer addressed the boy in Arabic from Cairo, where Zaher is currently living.
The Brazilian player told Zaher that he was aware of his story and expressed hope that the boy would use his new prosthetic legs to return to playing football. Vinícius Júnior also invited the boy to attend a match in Madrid to spend the day together.
Zaher lost his legs in 2024 during a drone strike in Khartoum while he and his mother, Habibah, were selling lentils to survive. The family was trapped in the capital during fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
After a BBC report on his situation, a UK-based lawyer of Sudanese origin, Dena Latif, helped lead an online campaign that raised £45,000 for his medical care. This allowed Zaher and his mother to travel to Egypt for surgery and rehabilitation.
Zaher has since undergone surgery and months of physiotherapy to learn to walk on prosthetic legs. His doctor, Dr Bintelmuna Eltayeb, noted that the boy has gained significant confidence and is now able to laugh and smile again.
Zaher expressed that the message uplifted him and said he loves the footballer. He hopes to eventually obtain a visa to accept the invitation to Madrid.