Vinícius Júnior invites Sudanese fan Zaher to Madrid match after prosthetic-leg recovery

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has invited a 13-year-old Sudanese supporter who lost both legs in a drone strike to attend a Madrid match and spend a day with him. According to a BBC report published on 11 November, the footballer sent Zaher a personal video message after learning about his story through the broadcaster.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bDwhUA-O2E

Zaher watched the message during the BBC's visit to Cairo, where surgery and months of rehabilitation had helped him learn to walk with prosthetic legs. Vinícius greeted him in Arabic and encouraged his wish to play football again. The invitation has not yet become a completed visit: Zaher told the BBC he hoped to obtain a visa so he could accept it.

The BBC first met Zaher in Khartoum in 2025, when he identified the Brazilian as his favourite player. He had lost his legs the previous year while selling lentils alongside his mother, Habibah, during Sudan's war. Following the strike, he used a wheelchair to move through his damaged neighbourhood and tried playing football on his knees, risking infection.

The original report prompted an international fundraising response. Dena Latif, a UK-based lawyer of Sudanese origin, helped lead an online campaign that raised £45,000 for Zaher's medical care. Arranging treatment abroad took months: he and his mother had no passports, and their birth certificates had been destroyed. They eventually travelled to Cairo, where accommodation and medical appointments had been organised.

Zaher's treatment included further surgery, physiotherapy, training with his prosthetic legs and psychological support. By the BBC's return visit, he could walk and kick a ball, although he had not yet played a game of football. His doctor described a marked improvement in his confidence, while Zaher spoke about trying cycling and horse riding and his ambition to become an airline pilot.

The BBC reported that Zaher and his mother have since returned to Khartoum, hoping he can have his prosthetic legs checked and adjusted there as he grows. Habibah remains concerned about his education and future in a country still at war. Latif said she hoped the attention surrounding his recovery would also help other Sudanese children living with life-changing injuries.