Cahel Santos Dreams of the Premier League

15 June 2025

“I think it’s a wonderful experience to play tough tournaments here in Europe”

Botafogo is one of the four major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro. The club has a truly fantastic kit — the black and white striped shirt with a star and black shorts are simply magical. Botafogo originally adopted the outfit from the Italian club Juventus, later enhancing it with a star.

Fourteen-year-old Cahel Santos is playing a solid tournament in Groenlo as a midfielder for this historic club. Cahel was born in Germany and is the son of Caio Santos, a Brazilian footballer who previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga and at the highest level in Switzerland for Grasshoppers Zurich.

Last weekend, Cahel and his team won the Rimini Cup in Bad Kitzingen. The tournament featured strong clubs such as Bayern Munich and Honvéd Budapest. Cahel says about the experience:
“I think it’s a wonderful experience to play tough tournaments here in Europe, but I first want to continue developing at Botafogo. My goal is to make it to Botafogo’s first team. If I can do that, the next goal comes into view — my ultimate dream is to play for Manchester City in England.”

But first, Cahel will need to get his school diploma. Botafogo has a partnership with the school where Cahel attends classes, and if he doesn’t perform well academically, he also won’t progress in football. Tomorrow, Cahel flies back to his parents in Rio — this European trip is already a great experience he can carry with him!