Brazil left-back Tamires is the only member of their 23-player squad who is a mother, a factor that could well have prevented her from appearing at her second FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. One of Vadao’s most consistent performers, she has nevertheless shown that motherhood and sport can coexist very happily indeed.

Not everything has come easily for Tamires in her career, which has twice seen her take a break from football over a four-year period.

“I fell pregnant with Bernardo when I was 21,” she told FIFA.com. “My career was on the up, and it came at a time when things had been going well for me. The support of my family and my husband Cesar was very important, however, in making me understand the experience I was going through and learning how to appreciate it.”

Just to complicate matters, Cesar also happened to be a footballer. The two had met at Sao Paulo club Juventus, and the family moved from one city to the next as he pursued his career.

“I stopped playing for two years,” she said. “The second year was my choice because I had a pretty big responsibility: a son to look after. I wanted to have that time to breast-feed him and also to support my husband.”

It was not long before Tamires resumed her career, albeit on the futsal court. The family’s nomadic lifestyle proved a hindrance, however.

In 2011, she signed for Atletico Mineiro only to put her career on hold again due to the distance between the club and the city where Cesar was playing. Aware that the situation was not ideal for bringing up their son, Tamires came to think she might have to give up football for good.

It was when they returned to Sao Paulo in 2013 that husband and wife finally found an environment in which they could both play football. And so good at it is Tamires that two years later she made her world finals debut in Canada.

“It’s a great honour, considering everything I had to deal with. I’ve got a wonderful son now, and he’s nine already,” said the Brazil defender, who now plays her club football for Danish side Hjorring, where Cesar also works.

A Seleção might not be the most physical or athletic side on show at France 2019 but they do have class. Vadao’s charges are at their best when they have the ball, move it around and bring their talented forwards into play. And if they are to pose a threat to the host nation in the Round of 16, possession of the ball will be crucial.

“Tamires is a vital part of our system,” Seleção midfielder Thaisa told FIFA.com. “I tend to drop out to the left and she’s always there to support me, which is absolutely vital in creating an overlap when we attack.”

The full-back is a willing contributor to Brazil’s build-up play and offers speed, technique and tactical awareness in doing what she has to do, even without the ball. As Thaisa confirmed, few players in the squad study the opposition as closely as Tamires does, hence the consistency of her performances. Every player makes mistakes, but she does all she can to reduce the chances of them happening. “I try to be very disciplined,” she said. “You have to be focused to make the absolute most of the 90 minutes.”

The most rewarding thing for Tamires is knowing that it is not just her team-mates who admire her; little Bernardo is also a fan. “He’s at the age now where he understands everything that happened and why I continued chasing this dream,” said his mother. “Being a mother and building my career with him looking on is an honour for me.”

Fans interested in attending the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 can still purchase tickets for the tournament via www.fifa.com/tickets, as well as via ticket booths located at stadia for remaining matches still available to the general public.