Waldemar was on his deathbed. He’d been unable to speak for weeks, but the 68-year-old had a last request and nothing was going to stop him getting it out. He summoned his four daughters to the hospital. Waldemar begged Edina, Eliane, Clevesmari and Jaqueline to help their 16-year-old brother Paulo Henrique, whose attempt to become a professional footballer was on the cusp of collapse. Days later Waldemar passed away.
“It was a huge struggle for our dad to get the words out, but he was determined because he was really worried about Paulo,” explained Clevesmari. “He firmly believed Paulo had the talent to make it to Serie A. He asked us to help him. My father’s last words in life became, for us, a commitment.”
The sisters therefore travelled to Sete Barras, where Paulo Henrique was living and where footballing opportunities were seldom. They begged his mother to let the aspiring player live with them, 230 kilometres away in Coritiba. Eunice graciously agreed.
Paulo Henrique ultimately did make it pro, starting out at Londrina, who were in Serie C. He struggled for action, however, and was duly passed from pillar to post on loan. By 2019, he was playing for Metropolitano in the Santa Catarina state championship, earning peanuts and sleeping on the floor without a mattress.
It would have been easy to let football go, pursue another career, but Paulo Henrique was never going to give up on his father’s last request. He dug deeper than deep. In 2020, the rampaging wing-back made it to Parana in Serie B, and the following year to Juventude in Serie A.
Waldemar’s dream had been realised, but Paulo Henrique had a dream of his own: to represent Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 26™. The finest form of his career, in the black and white of Vasco da Gama, hiked hope of a call-up. When it didn’t come, however, he went to the Maracana, with his wife Patricia, as a fan and cheered them on to victory over Chile last month.
The coffin was seemingly closed on Paulo Henrique’s chances of making it to North America when he was left out of Brazil’s squad for their final two fixtures before the tournament: friendlies against Korea Republic in Seoul and Japan in Tokyo.
When injury ruled out Wanderson, Carlo Ancelotti turned to Vitinho. When fellow right-back Wesley suffered the same fate, the Italian handed Paulo Henrique his maiden call-up. Ironically, he discovered when he got off the flight in Santa Catarina, where he had gone to spend time with family during the international break.
“I’d just landed when I found out,” Paulo Henrique told FIFA. “My wife was waiting for me at home with my family, because we were going to spend a few days together.
“She was in disbelief because the call-up had already been and I hadn’t made it! There’d been a cut. I told here I would have to go back [to Rio de Janeiro] because I’d been called up. She was very emotional, very happy. She celebrated a lot.
“I always believed I could get this chance. Obviously, as time passed, the dream became more distant, but I never stopped believing.
“I’d already had a few good years at club level, and I think this year I reached a peak I hadn’t reached before. I was delighted with the call-up. I’m truly grateful to God for everything he’s done, for bringing me here.”
After a substitute appearance in the 5-0 thrashing of Korea Republic, PH was handed a start against Japan. Though a second-half crumbling was central to Brazil losing 3-2, the 29-year-old seized his individual opportunity in some style. Paulo Henrique was a devilish outlet for Brazil down the right flank, completed 63 of 66 attempted passes, made multiple defensive interventions and scored an outside-of-the-boot deadlock-breaker.
“I’m really, really proud,” said Paulo Henrique. “I’m really happy. Scoring for Brazil was an amazing moment. Honestly, if it wasn’t for God, for everything he’s done and is doing in my life, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I simply did my job, gave my all while I was on the pitch.
“I hope I did enough to get more chances. Now it’s up to the coach. I’m up against incredible players, some who missed out due to injury. Let’s keep this healthy fight for places going, because it benefits the Seleção.”
Paulo Henrique rued not emerging victorious, but nevertheless accentuated the positives from the 3-2 loss at Ajinomoto Stadium.
“I’d swap my goal for the win,” he said. “I’m disappointed with the result. When we won 5-0, we weren’t the best team in the world, and losing today doesn’t make us the worst team in the world.
“Japan are very strong. They’re focused, they run a lot, are tactically well positioned, have quality players, are well coached. We’re in a period of growth. We leave here having learned a lot for the future call-ups and the World Cup.”
One deadly weapon he could take there is hypersonic pace. At its last edition in Qatar, Kylian Mbappe (35.19 km/h) and Nico Williams (35.59 km/h) were among the players posting the fastest top speeds – a chart led by Kamaldeen Sulemana (35.69 km/h). The Vasco No96 has been clocked sprinting at a mind-blowing 36.5 km/h this year.
The speedster’s trek to the top may have been slow, but his exploits in Tokyo suggest the tenth right-back called up by Brazil since the start of World Cup 26 qualifying may be the solution to a positional problem.
Paulo Henrique continues to add chapters to a fairy tale that was beyond Waldemar’s wildest dream.
