Dbora Cristiane de Oliveira (Debinha), midfielder for Brazil
Debinha means little Debs in Portugueseshes 1.57 metres talland this star midfielder has no intention of getting too big for her soccer boots. Never go above someone else, is her philosophy.Instead, she says, its better to be a mirror for someone else, and to always be learning from your teammates in whatever you choose to do. After all, she says, I didnt get here alone.She acknowledges the debt she owes to her family and others whove helped her make it to the top, but also gives herself credit for her self-belief, her ability to take herself out of her comfort zone and her undying commitment to her sport.From street soccer in a provincial town in southeast Brazil to one of the stars of the U.S. National Womens Soccer League and a mainstay of the Brazilian womens team, Debinha, 31, has come a long way.She has appeared for her country more than 130 times and in 2022 was shortlisted for the Best FIFA Womens Player award, the only South American to be nominated. This summer she is packing her kit in preparation for her second World Cup.I always liked to play ball, says Debinha, who first started playing it at age eight in the square outside the candy factory where her mother worked in their home town of Braspolis. If she wasnt playing in the street, she was taking extra physical education classes after school.“I was fascinated by sports, all kinds of sports, Debinha says. I played volleyball, handball. I skateboarded. But football was my forte, so I was always doing that with the boys and the girls.The de Oliveiras are a close family, but for a while Debinhas fathers heavy drinking cast a shadow over their home life. Debinha threw herself into football and when a chance came up to try out for Saad, a soccer club on the outskirts of So Paulo more than 200 kilometres away, the 16-year-old went to her mothers workplace to ask her to sign the consent form. Her mother started to weep.It was very hard to see her crying, says Debinha. Her mother went through a period of depression but always supported her daughter. Today, as always, she is my number one fan, says Debinha, who is also very proud of her father for overcoming his alcoholism.Leaving Braspolis was as difficult for Debinha as it was for her mother. To go after my dream, I had to leave my friends, my family, a comfortable life. It was a life where I had always been happy, living on Sete de Setembro Street and playing in the square.But the self-confessed girl who was always driven by challenges knew she had to do it. And it was worth it. In addition to Brazilian clubs, she has played for teams in Norway and China, and is now with the Kansas City Current in the U.S.The greatest moment of her career so far has been representing Brazil in the 2016 Olympic Games, when they were held in her home nation.To be on the field and see my family cheering for me, to see my family experiencing that along with me, you couldnt put a price on it.Next:Christine Sinclair Is the Canadian Soccer Player Paving the Way for Female Athletes