11-year-old Brazilian boy with no feet to train with Barcelona FC
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Gabriel Muniz, 11, poses with a soccer ball outside his house in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. Gabriel Muniz might be one of his school's top football players, but he is unlikely to make it into a football team because he was born without feet. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gabriel Muniz, 11, plays soccer with schoolmates in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gabriel Muniz, 11, plays soccer with schoolmates in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro August 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gabriel Muniz, 11, does his homework at home in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 22, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gabriel Muniz (left), 11, attends a class in school in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
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Gabriel Muniz, 11, carries his prosthesis in school in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz, 11, poses with a soccer ball outside his house in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. Gabriel Muniz might be one of his school's top football players, but he is unlikely to make it into a football team because he was born without feet. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz, 11, plays soccer with schoolmates in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz, 11, plays soccer with schoolmates in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro August 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz, 11, does his homework at home in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 22, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz (left), 11, attends a class in school in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz, 11, carries his prosthesis in school in Campos dos Goytacazes, 274km north-east of Rio de Janeiro on Aug 23, 2012. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Gabriel Muniz might be one of his school's top football players, but he is unlikely to make it into a football team because he was born without feet.
His mother, Mrs Sandra Muniz, says that her son has always lived a normal life despite his limitations.
"He started walking before he was one. We would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell," Mrs Muniz said. Muniz received a donated foot-ankle prosthesis in 2011, but he discards them to play football.
The video below is taken from YouTube, from user Oscar2012inmycar.
After his appearance in Brazil's popular sports show on TV Globo network, the 11-year-old was invited to take part in Barcelona's summer training camp in Saquarema.The Spanish club managers were inspired by his story and skills, and invited him to travel to Barcelona's academy in September.
