Does any footballer do titanic transformations like Michael Delgado? Ten days ago he was on his holidays – ones seldomly afforded to footballers in Brazil – with his wife Andreza and 14-month-old daughter Eloah, rhapsodizing over his emotional metamorphosis from hell to heaven. Michael was brought up in a drug-thronged, murder-rife favela. The only fix to hunger and impoverishment, he felt, was crime. As a 13-year-old he began frequenting drug dens. He used them; he sold them. He drunk excessively. He rode with gangbangers. He committed robberies. He carried a gun. The Poxoreo native relentlessly considered using it to end his own life. If he didn’t, destiny almost dictated that the police would shoot him into a casket. Michael had been shot at on multiple occasions by law enforcement when he went on the run to Goiania. There, the narcotics dealer he shared a flat with was assassinated. It was a lightbulb moment for the 19-year-old. He found God… and football.

Fast-forward five years and Michael began 2022 having employed his charismatic lingual power to lure innumerable youngsters away from crime and, following depression caused by his initial incapacity to deal with the daunting upshots of fame, established as one of the finest attackers in the talent-bubbling country. Then his phone rang. Another transformation was set to unfold. ‘The Little Robot’ has zoomed from relaxing on the sand to joining Al Hilal and being inscribed to represent them at the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021™. Michael’s Instagram profile reads, THE FAVELA WON (MC Dreem even released a funk track of the same name), a reference to his implausible overcoming of everything life threw at him. Now the 25-year-old wants to inspire a Xerox on the unthinkable scale and inspire Al Hilal to glory in Abu Dhabi.

FIFA: This last week has been a little crazy, right? Michael: It's still absolutely crazy! If it wasn’t for coffee… this stuff is keeping me going. A week ago I was on my holidays. I was really happy, thinking about all the good things that had happened to me, having long lie-ins. There’s a seven-hour time difference. On some days it’s four in the morning and I still haven’t been able to sleep. I have good days, I have bad days. It’s all part of the adaptation. I’ve only been here a week but I hope I can adapt as soon as possible because I want to be really happy, I want to deliver a lot of happiness to the Al Hilal supporters and a lot of happiness to my family who have always fought for me and been with me. I am so grateful to my family… and coffee (laughs). How did it come about so rapidly? I was on holidays. I didn’t know anything about it. My manager said, ‘There’s a possibility like this. Do you fancy it?’ I said, ‘If it’s good for Flamengo, if it’s good for me and if it’s good for Al Hilal, we can reach an agreement. I don’t want to upset anyone, leave anyone annoyed.’ But the three parties agreed and I’m really happy here. I hope my joy, simplicity and happiness can be instilled in the others, because I want to help them off the pitch but also on it.

Six weeks ago you played for Flamengo In the Copa Libertadores final. Had you thought then about playing in the FIFA Club World Cup? Yes, we thought about it. It was my dream to play in the Club World Cup. When I was at Flamengo, we always joked, spoke about how it would be, because they’d been here and I hadn’t. For me it’s a great experience, a new one, and I’ll try to enjoy it as much as possible. Al Hilal have just got a few extra supporters, right? (laughs) Without doubt! I thank each and every Flamengo supporter. I had an incredible time at Flamengo, I had such a special relationship with the supporters. I’m not sure if they know it here yet but, yes, Al Hilal now have another 40 million people supporting them at this Club World Cup! Not bad, eh? (laughs) Now I want to write a beautiful story between me, the Al Hilal supporters and the club.

What is Al Hilal’s target at UAE 2021? I’ve only been here a short time. Everything has been rushed. The little time I have had, on the flight over for example, I’ve used it to try and learn a few words in English, because I couldn’t say a thing! But I think our target is always to win. Because the greatness of this club [means] that everything it enters, it enters wanting to win. Where I was [at Flamengo], it was like this too. I hope I can continue delivering titles and helping the team, that they will be very pleased with my performances and that I will be very pleased with the victories. A few years ago you were playing in the lower league of Goias state. How will it feel to play in the FIFA Club World Cup? I think it will be a unique experience. I really hope to enjoy it as much as possible, to take it all in. I think you have to enjoy life as much as possible. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an amazing opportunity. I’ve always dreamed about this, playing in the Club World Cup, and it’s hard to believe I’m about to realise this dream. I’m so happy but I’ll tell you something: I want to be even happier. There’s a beautiful trophy that would do the job! (laughs)