Two-time FIFA World Cup winner Cafu was the centre of attention this week as he carried the Olympic torch in Rio de Janeiro with the same famous two-handed gesture while lifting the World Cup as Brazil’s captain in 2002. And the hugely popular former Brazil right-back also took time out of his busy Olympic schedule to visit the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy’s booth at Bayt Qatar in Brazil.
The former Milan and Roma defender was visibly impressed with the detailed planning and progress happening at the Al Rayyan Stadium, which is displayed as a scale model including the surrounding precinct area at Bayt Qatar.    
“The plans for the stadium of Al Rayyan which I have seen here are very impressive,” Cafu told www.sc.qa. “I think they are going in the right direction and in the coming years the country will develop even more. I would love to be a part of this project. The stadiums are very nice, they have marvellous designs, and Qatar will be ready.”
Walking through the SC’s room at the Qatar Olympic Committee’s Bayt Qatar in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazil legend also came across a screen outlining the work being done by the SC’s Generation Amazing programme.  
“The work that the Supreme Committee is doing by developing kids from around the world into sporting ambassadors through Generation Amazing is fantastic. The co-operation between the SC and the Cafu Foundation during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil was very important, and it helped the kids get involved a lot. It was also very important for the beautiful cultural exchange between our two countries.”
Cafu concluded that the 2016 Rio Olympics is an emotional highlight for him personally, as well as an opportunity for Brazil to add a further international football title to their impressive collection. Despite Brazil’s 0-0 draw with South Africa in their opening Olympic men’s football fixture, Cafu said Neymar could inspire his nation to go all the way and clinch gold on home soil. “It is very emotional for me, to have Rio hosting the Olympic Games. I hope we put on a great Olympic Games, with Brazil winning a lot of medals. I think Brazil is very capable of winning gold in the men’s football competition. It is the title that is still missing from Brazil’s collection, and they have a great leader both on and off the pitch in Neymar. I believe they can do it.”