Thaíni Nunes Dias

Her father’s support was practical and constant — he bought her boots and paid for travel whenever she needed it.

Ferroviária gave Thaíni more than trophies — it was also where she saw the sea for the first time, took her first flight, and travelled outside Brazil for the first time.

At seven, seeing Marta and Cristiane on TV made her love women’s football even more.

Away from the pitch, Thaíni has studied Administration, and her academic work has even connected back to women’s football through sports marketing.

Thaíni’s first football lessons came in the streets, at school and at Projeto Pequeno Cidadão — where being the only girl among boys taught her early resilience.