Fluminense v Vasco at the Maracanã set for special event | OneFootball

The classic match between Fluminense and Vasco da Gama, this Sunday at Maracanã, for the semifinals of the Campeonato Carioca, will be the stage for a special event in honor of World Rare Disease Day, celebrated in February.

The initiative is promoted by the Voz das Mães project, in partnership with the Football Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Ferj), and will bring real stories of atypical motherhood and overcoming challenges to the field.

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Voz das Mães Project will carry out an action this Sunday (1) at the Fluminense vs Vasco match (Photo: Publicity)

Atypical children will enter the field in the classic

Representing their journeys, children Vinicius Lopes Rodrigues, known as Vini, and Mario Netto, known as Netinho, will participate in the on-field action. Their mothers will accompany the moment at the edge of the pitch.

Among them will be Natália Lopes, founder of Voz das Mães and mother of Vini. The boy has an as-yet inconclusive diagnosis of a rare condition and is still undergoing medical investigation.

Also taking part in the action is digital influencer Vanny Santos, mother of Netinho, who has been diagnosed with achondroplasia—the most common form of dwarfism.

The aim is to give visibility to families facing challenges related to rare diseases and to reinforce the importance of information, support, and early diagnosis.

Classic match decides spot in the Carioca final

On the field, the match will also decide a spot in the final of the Campeonato Carioca. In the first leg, played at Estádio Nilton Santos, Fluminense won 1-0.

With that result, Tricolor only needs a draw at Maracanã to advance. Vasco, on the other hand, needs to win by one goal to take the decision to penalties.

Besides the historic rivalry, the clash will have a special meaning off the pitch, uniting football and awareness in one of the biggest showcases of the sport in the country.

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Bernal was sent off in Vasco vs Fluminense at the start of the second half (Photo: Affonso Andrade/Agência F8/Gazeta Press)

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.