Youth in Play Portugal is the main port of entry into Europe for underage footballers originating from Africa and Latin America.
Francisco, Cassiano and Valentine share a passion for football. They came from Guinea-Bissau, Brazil and Nigeria with a dream of playing for one of the big European clubs. Although FIFA prohibits clubs from hiring players under the age of 18, their stories tell us how there can be many exceptions to a rule.
Text Sofia da Palma Rodrigues Data analysis Sara Moreira Photography and video Diogo Cardoso, Ricardo Venâncio Lopes Images Nogueira Lopes Infographics Elisabete Monteiro, Tiago Dias Translation Sandra Young, Felicity Pearce Subtitling Cristina Pinheiro