Seeing as this portion of the day is all about Brazil, I thought I'd take the opportunity to bolster my sports coverage with a photo of the footballer and noted paulista, Robinho, the Manchester City footballer born on this day in 1984 in the coastal city of São Vicente, in the state of São Paulo. Often called 'the new Pelé', Robinho was actually mentored by the football great both as a youth and when he played for Santos; his transfer from Real Madrid was the richest in history, worth a reported £32.5 million.
Robinho's success has brought the issue of São Paulo's robust gang culture into the world's headlines, as his mother Marina de Silva Souza was kidnapped from her home in Praia Grande in November 2004. She was released unharmed six weeks later after he paid a substantial ransom.
Oh, and by the way... The trademark thumb-sucking he does whenever he scores a goal is a tribute to his infant son; while it seems to draw considerable ire to him, in the opinion of the Pop Culture Institute it's quite sweet.
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