Young XV fan travels 500km to meet idol Reynaldo: "Unforgettable" | OneFootball

The title won by XV de Piracicaba in the 2025 Copa Paulista this Saturday was even more special for the boy Mateus Grosso. A young fan of the club, the boy traveled exactly 538 km to watch the state final against Primavera from the stands of Barão da Serra Negra and brought a gift for his idol: goalkeeper Reynaldo.

Mateus, just seven years old, lives in Curitiba, the capital of Paraná. However, his father is from Piracicaba and a die-hard XV fan.

Mateus’s parents, therefore, decided to travel as a family to watch the grand final at the stadium. They left Curitiba at 4 a.m. and arrived in the São Paulo countryside around 1 p.m.

(Photo: André da Silva Costa/Gazeta Press)

Goalkeeper idol

Despite being young, Mateus already dreams of a future in soccer. According to his mother, Marina Grosso, he trains as a goalkeeper and therefore looks up to Reynaldo, the shot-stopper who joined Nhô Quim in July this year.

“We came from Curitiba. My husband is from here in Piracicaba, but we live there. My son is a big XV supporter; it’s his favorite team. He trains as a goalkeeper and is a huge fan of Reynaldo; he’s his super idol,” said Marina in an interview with Gazeta Esportiva.

The boy even brought a special gift for his idol. He made a sign that said: “Reynaldo, we came from Curitiba. We traveled 538 km to ask for your jersey.” He got a photo with the goalkeeper and left overjoyed with the best possible Children’s Day gift.

“With XV doing well, we said that if they made the final, we’d try to go [to Piracicaba]. The team reached the final and we decided to go. It was an awesome Children’s Day present for him. We left Curitiba at 4 a.m. and got here almost 1 p.m. We’re very happy,” his mother added.

(Photo: André da Silva Costa/Gazeta Press)

Gift moves Reynaldo

Reynaldo was moved by young Mateus’s gift. Still euphoric from the title, the XV goalkeeper said he “will never forget” the gesture.

“Certain things in soccer have no explanation. The power we have to impact children and people so positively is surreal. For a little kid to make a sign, travel more than 500 km and come to a packed stadium to give it to me is a moment I will never forget. It only shows us that we must increasingly have good attitudes, take care of our image, to try to influence these people in the best way possible,” the player told the report.

He also took the opportunity to vent about the historic title, with a goal in the last minute, and repeated the fans’ catchphrase: “At XV everything is harder.” It’s worth noting that Nhô Quim lost the first leg of the final 1–0.

“It went the way we imagined. All week we’d been saying it would be a very tough game because of the team on the other side, which is very good. We knew our defensive system needed to be surgical. This only shows that we managed to nullify their main pieces,” he celebrated.

“We believed until the end. At XV, everything is harder, more complicated. The script held. We’re very happy to bring joy to all the fans. This title is for them. There’s more good to come,” he projected.

Focus on Série D

As champions, XV de Piracicaba earned, in addition to the trophy, the chance to choose between playing the Brazilian Série D or the Copa do Brasil in 2026. Aiming for a fuller calendar next season, the club will play the Fourth Division.

With a new format, the tournament is scheduled to start on April 5 next year. Before that, however, the Piracicaba team has another commitment on its calendar: the Paulista Série A2.

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