Vinicius becomes UNESCO goodwill ambassador

The UN cultural agency on Friday named Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior its "goodwill ambassador for education for all". The 23-year-old Real Madrid forward said becoming a UNESCO representative was "more than an honour". UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said Vinicius had been chosen for being not only "an exceptional football player" but also "a committed advocate for equal opportunity through education in Brazil". In 2021, he set up the Instituto Vini Jr. to help Brazilian children and teenagers from underprivileged neighbourhoods get back into school, according to UNESCO. UNESCO estimates that 250 million children and teenagers have no access to school, with social inequality being one of the main reasons they drop out of education.