Vinícius Júnior comforts Sudanese boy Zaher and invites him to Madrid

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior sent a video message in Arabic to 13-year-old Sudanese boy Zaher, expressing his solidarity and wishing him a return to normal life and to playing football. He also invited him to visit Madrid, attend a Real Madrid match and meet him.

Zaher was injured in a drone attack targeting Khartoum during the current year and lost both his legs. According to the source, a fundraising campaign led by lawyer Dina Latif raised 45 thousand pounds sterling, earmarked for treatment and medical care.

Zaher moved to Cairo with his mother to receive treatment, underwent surgeries and a rehabilitation programme that lasted several months. He later managed to walk using two prosthetic legs and kick a ball again, after which the family returned to Sudan once he had completed the basic phase of physical therapy abroad.

Zaher expressed his happiness at Vinícius's message, while his anticipated meeting with the player at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium still depends on travel arrangements.