Together from day one: Andressa's World Cup joy with childhood friends

The U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco brings together young talents from around the world in pursuit of the title. For 17-year-old goalkeeper Andressa, the competition also marks a reunion with childhood friends who have been part of her football journey. Ahead of the quarter-final against China, Brazil’s number 21 is sharing the dressing room with players she met when she first started playing football. Andressa got her start in the sport thanks to her twin brother. The two attended a futsal school near their home in São Paulo. "I started out playing outfield, but one day I went in goal and never left. It was something I really enjoyed because it was so dynamic,” she said. At the time, Andressa also played futsal at school, where she met girls who would later become her Brazil teammates. Gigi Pires, Pepê, Helena and Kaillany Ranifah were among the friends who encouraged her to switch to outdoor football and attend a trial at Centro Olímpico. Andressa (standing on the left) alongside Gigi Pires. In front, Ranifah (number 11) and Pepê (number 7, on the right) Credits: Personal archive The invitation proved decisive. Although she loved futsal and did not want to leave the sport, Andressa accepted, also motivated by the chance to keep playing alongside her friends. After passing the trial, she stayed at Centro Olímpico for almost five years before joining São Paulo, where she played between 2022 and 2026, progressing through the club’s youth ranks. She currently studies at Life Prep Academy in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States, while also playing for FC Wichita, one of the leading clubs in girls’ football development in the country. Over the years, each player followed her own path in football, playing for different clubs and gaining different experiences. The goalkeeper celebrated their reunion at the U-17 World Cup, now as teammates. “It’s really ‘crazy’ because we worked together and built a friendship. Today, some are at São Paulo, others at Corinthians, I went abroad, and now we’re all here. It shows how hard we’ve worked,” she says. In the back row, Andressa (on the right); in front, Gigi Pires (second from the left) and Helena (number 2) Credits: Personal archive Alongside the friendships she built through football, Andressa had her family’s support to keep playing. Growing up with seven siblings, her parents and relatives played a direct role in her daily routine as an athlete. When her parents could not accompany her, her siblings took on the responsibility. “My family has always supported me. When my parents couldn’t go, my siblings went. They would pick me up, take me to football school, to training and then to school. When it got late, I would sleep at one sibling’s house or another’s. Having that support network was very important. They never let go of my hand,” she says. Brazil and the World Cup Andressa has been called up to the Brazilian national team seven times. Her first call-up was to the Brazil U-15 team in 2023. Since then, she has taken part in various training camps, with sessions in Aracaju, Itanhaém and Granja Comary. Despite not playing in the 2026 South American U-17 Championship, she continued training with the team and waited for the final World Cup squad announcement. “Those were days filled with anxiety and tension. When I returned to the national team, it was that feeling of ‘phew!’. We get upset when we aren’t called up, but we keep working. Everyone wants to be here. Being on the national team is part of our dream,” she says. In Morocco, the goalkeeper found facilities that exceeded her expectations. The scale of the competition and the investment in women’s football caught her attention. “When I got here, I woke up and thought: ‘My God, I’m in Morocco!’. I was incredibly happy. The infrastructure was what I expected, but it still managed to surprise me. I was struck by how much women’s football is evolving and the importance they’re giving the sport,” she says enthusiastically. Andressa during Brazil U-17’s preparations for the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco Credits: Fabio Souza / CBF On the pitch, the competition has also brought valuable lessons. For Andressa, the unexpected results and the evenly matched teams underline how important concentration is during games. “At a World Cup, we face the highest possible level of competition. If we don’t go out there and play our football, things might not work out. This competition has shown that a national team’s reputation counts for nothing. Everyone will go out there and compete on equal terms,” she says. Having qualified for the quarter-finals, Brazil will face China next Sunday (the 1st), when they take on China at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) in the quarter-finals of the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. The match will be played at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé. Andressa hopes the team will be focused and united as they seek a place in the semi-finals. “We have to go out there and put the game away. I believe we’re capable of so much. We’re a very skilful, very good and very fast team. We need to go out there together, united, and I’m sure things will work out,” she says. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.