In Brazil in 2014, the World Cup swept the country, coinciding with the hosting of the tournament. Children were seen peering over walls, among them a 17-year-old boy, appearing with a paintbrush, barefoot, and helping to paint the street where he grew up. But today, this boy has become part of the mural.
A photo of Brazilian Gabriel Jesus painting the streets during the 2014 World Cup went viral after his transfer to Barcelona in the current summer transfer window. In just four years since that photo, the player's career has transformed.
The story of Barcelona's new player, Gabriel Jesus
According to the Telegraph, Jesus became part of the mural when several adjacent houses in the Jardim Peri neighborhood in São Paulo, where Jesus grew up, were painted in turquoise, green, and yellow, featuring a depiction of Jesus celebrating a goal in the manner that has now become familiar, where he pretends to make a phone call to his mother, Dona Vera, his biggest fan and harshest critic.
The telecommunications company sponsoring the Brazilian national team did not miss such a marketing opportunity. Therefore, to emphasize Jesus's transformation from a teenager dreaming of glory to a key striker in Tite's revived national team, advertisements repeatedly exploit this celebration on television screens in Brazil.
In January 2017, Jesus began his journey in the English Premier League when he moved to Manchester City. He stayed with the team for five years before transferring to Arsenal, where he remained for four years. Now, Barcelona represents his next stop.
Jesus's standing at Arsenal declined in recent seasons due to injury problems, in addition to the club's preference for Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres as central strikers.
Napoli also showed interest in Jesus, but the Brazilian player has now joined last season's La Liga champions after passing the medical tests. The contract includes a clause granting Arsenal a percentage of the value of any future sale of the player.
