Brazil's national football team fans cheer in central Moscow on June 14. Vasily Maximov / AFP
Brazil's national football team fans cheer in central Moscow on June 14. Vasily Maximov / AFP
Brazil's national football team fans cheer in central Moscow on June 14. Vasily Maximov / AFP
Brazil's national football team fans cheer in central Moscow on June 14. Vasily Maximov / AFP

WATCH: Brazilian couple driving around the world stops in Russia for World Cup 2018


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Some fans will go the extra mile for their team but for one Brazilian couple they have driven tens of thousands of kilometres around the globe to cheer on Brazil at the World Cup.

Vanessa Zandona and Lihnio Bergamin have been driving a vintage 1946 Jeep around the world for two years and have arrived in Rostov-on-Don just in time to support Brazil in their opening match of the World Cup against Switzerland.

The couple's journey started in March 2016 when shortly after getting married they set on a three-year honeymoon in their jeep to see the world.

Bergamin and Zandona spent five years building the jeep together before the wedding and in the 27 months since they left their home in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, they have travelled to 43 countries, on four continents, clocking up more than 90,000 kilometres in their old car.

"We got married and in the middle of the wedding party we got into the car, and we said 'Bye friends, bye my family, we will come back home in about three or four years because we are going to the world right now'," Zandona said.

"That was our honeymoon; a little long. If at the end of this journey we stay together, our marriage will last all our life, 24 hours every day and ever."

Plenty of upgrades were made to the vehicle before it hit the road. An engineer by occupation and traveller by vocation Bergamin planned every detail carefully. Under the hood one can find parts from more than 10 different manufacturers.

When not driving the travellers can cook, sleep and even take a shower in their home on wheels.

Brazil's reputation as being a football powerhouse has helped open many while on their travels, Zandona told Reuters. The first thing that usually comes to mind to many foreigners is the names of great football players of past and present and after this people cannot help but react positively to the travellers.

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Read more on World Cup:

World Cup 2018: Day 3 - France and Argentina kick off campaigns

After Ronaldo show, Messi to turn heat on Iceland at World Cup

Ronaldo's first cup hat-trick earns Portugal draw with Spain

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"Everybody likes it [the car]. I think our car helps a lot, because it is a special, old car. And because we are from Brazil," Zandona said. "I think that Brazil opens a lot of doors, because it is a country that does not have any border problems or wars and it has soccer, soccer. This opens a lot of doors.

"Many people in the street scream 'Brazil, Neymar, Pele!' That is fantastic."

Bergamin and Zandona plan to follow their national team across Russia. The next stop is in St Petersburg where Brazil face Costa Rica team on June 22 before taking on Serbia on June 27. The couple is sure that Brazil will advance all the way to the final and win the tournament.

Perhaps if that fairy tale does come true, Zandona and Bergamin will be able to drive off into the sunset after Neymar lifts the trophy on July 15 and continue their extended honeymoon.

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

Arabian Gulf League fixtures:

Friday:

  • Emirates v Hatta, 5.15pm
  • Al Wahda v Al Dhafra, 5.25pm
  • Al Ain v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, 8.15pm

Saturday:

  • Dibba v Ajman, 5.15pm
  • Sharjah v Al Wasl, 5.20pm
  • Al Jazira v Al Nasr, 8.15pm
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

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The biog

Age: 19 

Profession: medical student at UAE university 

Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)

Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe 

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

Pots for the Asian Qualifiers

Pot 1: Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China
Pot 2: Iraq, Uzbekistan, Syria, Oman, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Vietnam, Jordan
Pot 3: Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Chinese Taipei, Philippines
Pot 4: Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Malaysia
Pot 5: Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Macau/Sri Lanka

Frida%20
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The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali

Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Persuasion
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6

Price, base: Dh69,900

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km

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THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

LAST-16 FIXTURES

Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

About Proto21

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