The Pequeno Príncipe brings Barça Legends to Curitiba, in a game celebrating King Pelé’s Day
Stars such as Cafu, Tinga, Alex Meschini, Ricardinho, Fernando Prass and Uruguayan Diego Lugano, led by Mano Menezes, are confirmed in the Pequeno Príncipe Team, which will play against the legends of the Spanish club on November 17th
To celebrate King Pelé’s Day, created from a mobilization coordinated by the Pequeno Príncipe, the institution will promote the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends Game, which will be held on November 17th, at 7:30 p.m., at Ligga Arena, in Curitiba. The objective of the event is to raise funds for the Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute, the only social project officially sponsored by Edson Arantes do Nascimento, a giant on and off the field, who dedicated his thousandth goal – scored on November 19, 1969 – to the most vulnerable children in Brazil.
The Pequeno Príncipe Team, led by coach Mano Menezes and made up of stars such as Cafu, Paulo César Tinga, Alex Meschini, Ricardinho, Fernando Prass and Uruguayan Diego Lugano, will be on the field. They will play against Barça Legends, a team made up of former stars who wore the Spanish team’s jersey, such as Giovanni, Edmílson, Edgar Davids, Jesús Angoy, Jofre, Javier Saviola, Paulinho and Adriano Correia, who is from Curitiba and will make his debut for Barça Legends. They will be led by coach Albert Ferrer. Other players are still being selected by both teams.
“Pelé dedicated his thousandth goal to the children of Brazil, and to honor that commitment by harnessing the energy of football and the fascination that people have for the sport to do something very positive associated with our children is fantastic,” said the corporate director of the Pequeno Príncipe Complex, José Álvaro da Silva Carneiro, during the press conference to launch the event, held in early October.
Pelé’s daughter, Flávia Kurtz Arantes do Nascimento, who is also a member of the board of directors of the Pequeno Príncipe’s maintainer association, commented on the importance of the match. “Everyone knows that Pelé was a giant as a soccer player, he was the Athlete of the Century. But he still does much more off the field. So, this game, which will bring Pelé and the Hospital to the field, is very special, because it will result in something that is very important for children. He is certainly very happy that this legacy is being carried forward, especially in soccer, which is something he loved very much,” she emphasized.
Tickets
Tickets to watch the charity match are on sale on this website. The grandstand will have a single price of US$ 20, and half-price tickets, according to the Brazilian law, will be available to senior citizens, blood donors, cancer patients and students. In addition, there will be half-price tickets for all who donate one kilo of food. Children will receive a special discount. Children from 0 to 3 years old will not pay; and from 3 to 12 years old, tickets will cost US$ 4.
The match has the institutional support of the Barcelona Foundation (Barça Fundació), whose mission is to improve the quality of life of children and young people through education, health and sports as tools for social inclusion and equity. The supporter gave up receiving part of the proceeds from the match in favor of the health of Brazilian children. The friendly match also has the following sponsors: Bourbon, Paraná Banco Investimentos, Sanepar and the Government of the State of Paraná. In addition to the supporters: Ligga Arena, Umbro and RPC (Media Partner).
About King Pelé’s Day
On November 19th, 1969, the legendary 20th century athlete caused the Maracanã stadium to be in awe by scoring his 1,000th goal and dedicating it to children. After his death (on December 2022), the Pequeno Príncipe Complex began a major mobilization to establish November 19 as King Pelé’s Day. The organization’s research unit – Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute – is the only social project officially sponsored by Pelé, hence the desire to create the date, reciprocating the support received from the star. In July of this year, the federal government published the Law No. 14909 (know more on the link, content available only in Portuguese), which instituted the event, definitively marking a day in the Brazilian calendar to recognize the achievements of Edson Arantes do Nascimento on and off the pitch.
What mobilizes our stars
“Whenever the Hospital calls us, it is not a request, but a summons. The competitive streak always exists within us, but the end result is to help the Pequeno Príncipe and the children served by the institution. The result of this action is much greater than any goal we can score on the November 17th.” Ricardinho
“This invitation is a great opportunity to take action, because the ultimate goal is the Hospital. I see it as an opportunity for everyone to move from talk to action. It’s been three years since I stopped playing and I’ve only gone back twice, in actions like this, because I believe that everyone can do a little bit.” Fernando Prass
“I had the opportunity to get to know the Hospital in a not so good way. My son had a head injury and was treated very well here, and that’s how we started to have a relationship with the institution. Being from Curitiba, it’s very special to be able to debut in my city as a Barcelona Legends player.” Adriano Correia
Save the date!
The Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Legends Game
Date: on November17 (Sunday)
Place: at Ligga Arena – Curitiba
Time: at 7:30p.m.
More details: please click here
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