On a rainy Wednesday night, 20,000 fans gathered at Maksimir to witness the last match of the Croatian national football team against Armenia in the qualifiers for Euro 2024. Among the throngs of spectators was Rafael Beserra, a Brazilian who had traveled from his home country to see the “fire” match.
Beserra had been introduced to the public at the end of the League of Nations in Rotterdam, where he fulfilled his lifelong dream and met his idol Luka Modrić (38). Not long after, he received an invitation from the Croatian Tourist Board to visit Croatia as a guest of honor. He immediately moved to Zagreb, where he was studying Croatian and living out his dreams.
As he sat on a bench near Maksimir’s entrance, Beserra couldn’t help but feel excited about being in Croatia for the first time and seeing one of his favorite teams play live. He told us that he had never been to Maksimir before and that it was an incredible feeling to be part of such an electric atmosphere.
During our interview with Beserra, we learned that he is also quite skilled in speaking Croatian. He has been posting regularly on social media about his studies and even gave us some insights into what he thought would happen in tonight’s match. “I think it will be 3-0,” he said confidently. “Modrić, Ivanušec, and Majer will be scoring!”
But what really sets Beserra apart is how dedicated he is to supporting Croatia’s national team. We learned that he has already bought tickets for Euro 2024 in Germany! That’s how much this Brazilian fan loves watching football.