Beyond Brazil setback: A child’s first lesson in football, and life

57 MIN(s) ago

FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

A

Anisur Rahman

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A child plays with a football before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 football match between Brazil and Norway during the Alzirao festival, in the Tijuca neighborhood, north zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 5, 2026. Photo: AFP

Little Neethika Rahman, a seven-year-old grade-one student with sleep-heavy eyes, sat huddled beside her father in the dead of night. Her gaze was glued to the screen, watching a high-stakes FIFA World Cup encounter between five-time champions Brazil and dark horses Norway.

As she whispered sweet, hopeful words for her beloved Selecao, no one in the room could have predicted that another tragic chapter of football history was being written across the world. Even when Brazil fell a goal behind, her father gently comforted her, promising that they would find a way back.

But when Erling Haaland struck a devastating blow in the 90th minute, the weight of the heartbreak became too heavy for her tiny shoulders to bear. Unable to contain her grief, she rushed to wake her sleeping mother, breaking down into uncontrollable sobs and questioning through her tears why Brazil were losing -- even as the agonising minutes of stoppage time kept ticking away.

The final whistle confirmed Brazil’s 2-1 defeat and their abrupt, painful exit from the Round of 16 on Monday. It didn’t just break Neethika's heart; it cast a vast, global family of supporters into that very same ocean of tears.

Since their last glory in 2002, the agonizing 24-year wait for the Hexa -- the elusive sixth World Cup title -- has been prolonged once again. For a seven-year-old, the historical weight of a 24-year drought offers little comfort.

As the finality of the match set in, Neethika’s father held her close, gently wiping away her tears. He didn't offer empty platitudes, but instead spoke of patience -- reminding her that true love for a team means standing by them through the winters, not just celebrating their triumphs.

This is the hidden grace of the World Cup. It is often a child’s very first introduction to the concept of a setback, wrapped in the safe environment of sport.

The beautiful game had broken her heart for the first time, but in doing so, it had perhaps given her an invaluable lesson: that disappointment is not the end of the journey, but merely the interval between successful chapters.