Xuan Son is in the slums of his hometown, at the age of 27 he has a 'huge' thing in his hands?

"I got almost everything in a short period of time. Sometimes, I feel unbelievable because everything happens so fast," Nguyen Xuan Son shared in a video wishing Tet to Vietnamese fans.

From a poor boy in Brazil, striker Nguyen Xuan Son has become a Vietnamese citizen, and the best thing is that he has contributed to the success of the Vietnamese team at the 2024 AFF Cup. "Joining the national team is a unique story, quite crazy and has changed my life," Nguyen Xuan Son added.

Pirapemas, a small town in the Brazilian state of Maranhão, with a population of about 20,000 people, is where Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes (the full name of Nguyen Xuan Son before becoming a Vietnamese citizen) was born on March 30, 1997. Rafaelson's father was a teacher, and his mother was a housewife. His family has many similarities with the stories of many other famous Brazilian players, which is a life full of difficulties and dreams of escaping poverty thanks to a strong love for football.

Brazil is known as the "soccer kingdom," where millions of children play soccer on the streets and in slums with dreams of becoming soccer celebrities and millionaires. Rafaelson is no exception. He walked 8 km to buy his first pair of shoes, marking the beginning of his journey to become a Vietnamese citizen today.

The first turning point in Nguyen Xuan Son's career took place at the end of 2019 when he arrived in Vietnam. He has played for Nam Dinh FC, Da Nang FC, and Binh Dinh FC. In 2023, he returned to play for the home team Thien Truong and was officially awarded the decision to become Vietnamese citizenship at the Department of Justice of Nam Dinh province on October 5, 2024.

The night of December 21, 2024 at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho) is considered an unforgettable moment in Nguyen Xuan Son's life as well as the future of the Vietnamese team. It is not only the joy of his goals, but also a recognition for the process of striving for a foreign player during 5 years to have the honor of wearing the Vietnamese team.

The moment Nguyen Xuan Son celebrated the goal by kissing the Vietnamese flag on the chest of his shirt, certainly showed all his love, desire and happiness when playing for the Vietnamese team. And it was that kiss that conquered the hearts of Vietnamese fans.

After the 2024 AFF Cup, striker Nguyen Xuan Son is no longer known as Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes. Now, people only call him a Vietnamese citizen, a player loved by millions of fans, with the famous saying "listening to Xuan Son I feel in my heart".

Nguyen Xuan Son's life has changed, and he can be considered a football millionaire at the age of 27. Nguyen Xuan Son received assets worth about 27 billion VND, including a house and a car. If you add other bonuses, the total bonus he received was about 30 billion VND, creating a new record for bonuses for a Vietnamese player.

Football is often associated with inspiring stories, such as poor boys becoming millionaires, or the journey of overcoming difficulties and never giving up. Now, Vietnamese football has a new inspiration named Nguyen Xuan Son - his journey from the slum to millionaire at the age of 27 will be a motivation for many children and naturalized players who dream of playing for the Vietnamese team.

Over the past time, Nguyen Xuan Son has been taken care of by the Sports Medicine team, from nutrition control to weight and specialized recovery exercises in each stage. Being able to walk on his own is information that helps many fans feel secure about Xuan Son's situation after surgery.

Professor Tran Trung Dung (Director of Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Trauma, Vinmec Health System) shared: "The opportunity for Xuan Son to return to top sports is completely possible. Technically speaking, nothing too complicated. However, surgery only accounts for 10% of the process, and 90% of recovery depends on the work behind the scenes."

Xuan Son reappeared, using crutches to lead his mother-in-law into the yard, revealing a harsh attitude because of 1 action Lan Chi11:31:57 11/03/2025The last match of the 16th round of the V.League between CAHN Club and Nam Dinh Club ended with a result of 1-1. In this match, Thanh Nam football team was the guest of CAHN FC's Hang Dai stadium. Xuan Son and his family were present in the stands to cheer.