On Friday, the crowd at the auditorium of the Museu do Futebol – the football museum at the Pacaembu stadium, in Sao Paulo – was diverse: experienced representatives of NGOs; young and incredibly socially conscious entrepreneurs from across Latin America; and, casually enough, two FIFA World Cup™ winners.

As it turns out, by the end of the evening no one in the room seemed to be in as much admiration and awe as the two of them: Kaká and FIFA Foundation CEO Youri Djorkaeff.

With the theme “Dare to be Brave”, the first FIFA Foundation Talk was the opening act of a week-long gathering of the Young Entrepreneurs’ Legacy Programme (YELP), which brought together young entrepreneurs from 13 Latin American countries, all of whom associated with projects that employ football to promote social change.

Five of the young community leaders shared their personal stories of bravery on stage, drawing inspiration, smiles and a share of teary eyes from the crowd.

“It is easy to take football for granted. To take life for granted. In the back of our minds, we all know that these beautiful stories exist; that, in spite of the difficulties they may have to overcome, many people are fighting for good causes and using football as a powerful means for that. But you don’t really get to put this into perspective until you listen to each individual story, each individual struggle. It was illuminating to be here today,” said Kaká, who then took to the stage alongside Djorkaeff.

The pair of world champions shared the experiences of when they themselves had to defy the odds in order to succeed, before answering questions from the audience.

“When I joined the FIFA Foundation, I had a very clear idea of what the role of the FIFA Legends should be, and today this was at full display. I cannot overstate the meaning of an evening like this, when a bona fide superstar like Kaká looks these kids in the eye and listens to their stories, then relates these to his own personal journey. It was very special for me, and you can tell that it was for each of these inspiring young women and men as well.”