Leonardo: There are 70 days of prayer hidden in those two goals!

Xinhua News Agency reporter Gong Bing

This is a shocking reversal that can be recorded in the history of the Club World Cup! On the 30th, when the final whistle pierced the night sky in Orlando, Riyadh's crescent team members rushed into the field like wild horses to celebrate wildly. With a goal first, they "knocked back" the powerful Manchester City with a score of 4:3 and broke into the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. And at the center of this shocking reversal, there is a figure that moved countless people - Marcos Leonardo, a young Brazilian football genius, wrote a story about love and courage with two gold goals.

Just one minute of the second half of the game, Leonardo used a powerful header to sound the horn of the team's counterattack. When the game was dragged into overtime, he turned into a "key gentleman" in the 112th minute, fell to the ground and shot through Manchester City's goal, securing the victory for the team.

Faced with the media, the 22-year-old Brazilian football genius could no longer suppress his inner emotions. He said: "The past two months have been the darkest days of my life... My mother fought death in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) for a full 70 days." His voice trembled, but full of strength. "When I scored those two goals on the court, my mind was full of my mother. Now, she finally survived! My mother watched this game, and every goal I scored was dedicated to her."

"I must cherish my family." Leonardo said emotionally, "I would never stand here without their support."

In 2003, Leonardo was born in a football family in Itapetinga, Bahia, Brazil. As a striker, although his father was only active in the amateur arena in Bahia, his love for football was passed on to Leonardo like a torch.

In 2014, with infinite longing for football, Leonardo followed his family to Tobat, Sao Paulo. With his outstanding talent and unremitting efforts, he successfully passed the trial and joined the Santos echelon - a famous Brazilian football club that has trained superstars such as Pele and Neymar, and started his professional football career. In 2019, he signed his first professional contract with Santos Club; in August 2020, he made his substitute in the away game against Recife Sports, and made his first career debut; in October of the same year, facing Goias, he scored his first goal in his career; in 2023, he scored his first goal in his final victory against Palmeiras, ranking among the top 50 scorers in Santos' history.

His light attracted the attention of European football. In 2024, Leonardo transfers to Portuguese Super League team Benfica. In Europe, he continued to be in a hot state, scoring goals as soon as he came on the bench in the first three league games, helping the team to make great progress. In September of the same year, he held hands with Riyadh Crescent to embark on the journey of Asia. And today, he proved his strength to the world with two goals worth a thousand gold. In addition to his two goals against Manchester City, and his goals against Pachuca in the group stage, he has scored 3 goals in this Club World Cup, becoming a strong contender for the Golden Boot Award.

On this miraculous night, Leonardo not only won the team, but also presented the most precious gift to his mother. At this moment, football is no longer just a victory or defeat, but the most sincere gratitude of a young man chasing his dreams to his family.