During a jam-packed day of engagements in Rio de Janeiro, the Prince of Wales tried his hand at football and volleyball, flaunting his impressive athletic ability
During day one of an historic trip to Brazil , Prince William found the time to show off his impressive sporting skills as he teamed up with some enthusiastic locals.
The Prince of Wales travelled to the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, where he celebrated smashing a penalty with a group of high-fiving youngsters. William was joined by Brazilian football legend and double World Cup winner Cafú for his trip to the sporting arena, where they met children learning about the environment and climate change through the sport based organisation Terra FC.
When the future King first arrived pitch-side he met a group of volunteers from the project using football to connect with young people, and asked them: “My team’s Aston Villa, have you heard of them – you don’t have to say yes.”
READ MORE: Prince Harry makes huge announcement on awkward diary clash with estranged WilliamREAD MORE: Kate Middleton’s ‘real reason’ for not joining Prince William on historic Brazil trip
The prince and the former defender, both wearing trainers and casually dressed, played against each other in a three-a-side match testing the skills of the schoolboys from across Rio.
Cafú led his side to a 3-2 victory over William and his teammates but the prince quickly moved on to join a training session with a group of young girls holding cups of water as they dribbled, in a bid to improve their balance by not spilling the liquid.
William ended his football drills by taking a penalty against goalie Pedro Enrique, 14, and was mobbed by youngsters wanting a high-five after he scored. The 14-year-old said afterwards: “I was scared and nervous but very excited as he was most famous person take a penalty kick. I didn’t let him score. It was a good penalty.”
Following his trip to the stadium to show off his football skills, William then finished up his whirlwind first day in Brazil by heading to the world-famous Copacabana Beach, where he met emergency responders who are responsible for keeping people safe and spotlight environmental preservation work undertaken on the beach.
William met with representatives from the Military Fire Brigade of the State of Rio de Janeiro – which is responsible for lifeguard and emergency services – and observed a sea rescue lifeguard activation.
He then joined a group of young people who have taken part in Project Botinho, an annual free summer programme organised by the fire brigade which offers educational and recreational activities for around 5,000 children and teens. The project runs a range of activities for young people to encourage awareness about ocean safety, drowning prevention, first aid, and environmental conservation.
Before concluding his first day in Brazil, William took part in a game of volleyball with players from a local beach volleyball school run by Brazilian Olympian, Carolina Solberg. The school, known as the Levante Institute, aims to transform the lives of children from disadvantaged communities through sport.
William ditched his shoes and took to the sand and threw himself into the game, saying to his opposition: “Hi guys, be nice.” Jumping to make sure he hit the ball over the net during the 10-minute sunset game, William even dropping to his knees in the sand to nail the shot.
The Prince of Wales rotated positions as he showed his prowess at the sport, with scores of well-wishers cheering him on as he got stuck in, and told his teammates that his height helped. When someone attempted to break him away from the game, he joked: “We’ll be here all night you guys, talk amongst yourselves.”
Carolina Solberg, 38, Olympic beach volleyball player, was paired with the Prince in the game and praised William’s skills saying he had “a lot of energy”. She said: “He’s tall. He can hit. I think he could be really good if he practiced more. I think he was having fun and was amazing to play with him. It was such a pleasure.” When asked if he could join her team she said: “Yeah, for sure. He’s in!”
The Prince of Wales arrived in Brazil this morning for a four-day trip to Latin America for the annual Earthshot Prize awards, taking place on Wednesday. As the Prince of Wales departed London bound for Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, as he said in a statement: “As I depart for Rio de Janeiro, I am excited for my first visit and to experience Brazil’s vibrant culture, its extraordinary biodiversity, and above all, the warmth of its people.”
“With the world ’s eyes turning to Brazil this week, there is no better place to celebrate bold climate leadership. Hosting The Earthshot Prize allows us to not only recognise those driving change, but to be inspired by them. When we work together with optimism and courage, a more sustainable future is within our reach.”
The Earthshot Prize culminates with a glittering awards ceremony on Wednesday at Rio’s futuristic Museum of Tomorrow, where five winners will each receive £1million to scale up their planet saving ideas. Earthshot is one of William’s signature ideas which this week celebrated the halfway point of a decade-long project in different countries around the world.
