The life of Dante, Brazil’s “other” big-haired central defender, has changed considerably since the days when he played on the cobbled streets of Salvador’s Pelourinho district and attended league matches at the old, pre-renovated Arena Fonte Nova.
Saturday, in front of 62,000 spectators at Belo Horizonte, he will hope to play his part in his country's advancement to the quarter-finals of the World Cup when Brazil meet Chile.
A late bloomer, Dante turned professional at age 19 and played two seasons at Juventude largely flying under the radar.
Even now, despite being a key part of Brazil’s Confederations Cup squad last year and being one of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s 23-man team this summer, his name does not appear alongside the likes of Cafu and Thiago Silva in the “Historical Former Players” section of the club’s Wikipedia page.
He moved to Europe at 21, trying his hand, first, in the French league and then the Belgian Pro League before settling, and starring, in Germany’s Bundesliga.
Three impressive years at Bayern Monchengladbach saw him clinch a move in 2012 to the country’s top attraction, Bayern Munich, where he won the Uefa Champions League in his first season.
“Childhood in Salvador was tough,” Dante told The National. “But through football I have been able to give a good life to my family. I am glad I have worked so hard for this and I had a chance to be a better person and help many people.
“Of course, we have to miss our country and culture, but one gets used to the new environment and we know our passage in Europe is for a good cause and that, one day, it will end.”
Zico, one of Brazil’s most idolised former players, recently asserted that the Brazilian public does not feel the same passion for the national team as it did when he played in the 1980s because players such as Dante and Hulk, Dani Alves and David Luiz never played regularly and at a high level in Brazil.
It is a claim that Dante accepts, albeit reluctantly.
“It is true that we left our country many years ago and most of our careers have been in Europe,” he said. “However, if you can follow football on television, in newspapers, on the internet, you can know and see what we do with this world that we now live.
“Unfortunately, since the 2002 World Cup this has been the trend.
“But, who knows, maybe one day the championship in Brazil will get stronger and more players will come back. I would certainly like to come back to Salvador and play for Bahia some day.”
Dante has yet to feature during this World Cup, but he proved himself to Scolari at last year’s Confederations Cup when he came off the bench in Salvador and scored the opening goal in his team’s 4-2 win over Italy in his home city. Brazil won the tournament with a 3-0 win over Spain in the final.
“To score the first goal at the new Fonte Nova with the Selecao was a dream,” he said. “It is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
In this Brazilian squad, Dante is the backup option to the player who replaced him at Juventude all those years ago, Thiago Silva, and the original big-haired Brazilian, David Luiz.
However, a back injury suffered in training on Thursday has put Luiz’s participation on Saturday in doubt.
Should he be called upon against Chile, Dante is ready.
“There are many good teams, so if one day you have a not-so-good game, then, you can lose it all,” Dante said.
“We need to be focused all the time, keep working hard every day in practice, push everyone to be at their best and be ready for each challenge.”
Chile, with their slick passing game and menacing pace in attack, will prove the toughest challenge yet to a Brazilian defence that has looked vulnerable throughout the tournament. Should the hosts progress, they will meet either Uruguay or Colombia in the next round.
For a South American who has played almost his entire career in Europe, it will prove an eye-opening few days, but he is ready.
“We are united to reach our objective, which is to win the World Cup at home,” he said, citing Germany as a side he would ideally avoid. “While we know it is not going to be easy to win it, we are working very hard to achieve it.”
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
