Franklin D. Roosevelt did more for American defence than any US president throughout history. He combatted the Great Depression with the curative New Deal and helped end the deadliest war in history.
Fundamental to the latter was a telephone call between Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill – one enabled by a labyrinth system to impede interceptors. SIGSALY, cutting-edge technology, digitised human voice and, using cryptographic keys, transformed it back via vocoder. One terminal was concealed in the Pentagon and equipped with an extension to the White House. The other was concealed in the basement of Selfridges department store and fitted with an extension to 10 Downing Street.
Another crazy phone story helped Franklin Roosevelt do wonders for the Brazilian defence. If FDR “lifted himself from a wheelchair to lift the nation from its knees,” his namesake rose from a Maracanazinho bench to lift his nation to the skies.
When the FIFA Futsal World Cup™ final, 15 years ago to this day, went to penalties, Franklin Roosevelt Bueres Junior – his grandmother was a big fan of the American politician – channelled his inner Gunter Netzer, plucked up some courage and told his cantankerous coach PC de Oliveira, with whom he was at loggerheads, that he was going on. The Osasco native vindicated his decision by emerging as the shootout saviour, saving two spot-kicks to crown Brazil for the first time in 12 years. Franklin shares his mind-blowing story with FIFA.
Going into the 2008 finals, Brazil were without the great Manoel Tobias for the first time in 19 years, Spain had won back-to-back world titles, having overcome Brazil on both occasions, and boasted magnificent players such as Luis Amado, Kike Boned and Javi Rodriguez. Was the consensus that Spain had taken over as futsal’s kings?
Firstly, Spain had a magnificent team. They had incredible individuals and, principally, played so well together tactically and technically. The top European teams are always on another level in this regard. We knew it would be really, really difficult to overcome Spain. Perhaps others felt that they had the advantage, but personally I felt we had something they didn’t: the support. I think we had an excellent coach, great players, we played really well as a team and the supporters made a difference.
Brazil had terrible fortune with injuries throughout the competition…
You can’t control injuries. At a World Cup you have so many intense, high-pressure games – one after the other. We sustained one injury, then another, then another. When Falcao got injured – he was only able to play a few minutes in the final – PC had already prepared us for it. We had to remain totally focused. What it meant was that everybody else, despite some players carrying knocks and having played more minutes than they were used to, had to step up and give extra. We all shared the same mindset: let’s do whatever it takes to overcome this hurdle and win the world title.
Was it pre-arranged that if a Brazil game went to penalties, you would go on for the shootout?
(laughs) What happened was madness. I’d already been first-choice goalkeeper at the World Cup. Tiago hadn’t. At your first World Cup you simply don’t sleep. Not that I slept really well, because we’d lost the last two World Cups to Spain, but I was less anxious than Tiago. We weren’t allowed mobile phones and the telephones in our rooms were all disconnected because PC wanted us to be 100 per cent concentrated. I was rooming with Tiago. Our phone hadn’t rung the whole time, but suddenly it rang. We both looked at it, puzzled, and I said, ‘Please answer it’. He did and said, ‘Franklin, it’s for you’. People don’t know about this, but PC was annoyed with me because I hadn’t gone to play for his team Ulbras. He wouldn’t even speak to me at training sessions – only when it was absolutely necessary on the court. It was a guy called Wagner who, when I played in Italy, I’d spoken to over messenger. He’d found out what hotel we were staying in and, I have no idea how, but managed to get through to the room. He said, ‘I’m really sorry to bother you, but there’s a woman here who wants to speak to you’. I thought it was really strange that he’d been able to get through, so I said, ‘Ok, no problem’. It was a woman who did voluntary work in the favela. She said, ‘Look, I don’t know you, I don’t anything about the sport you play, but I’ve dreamt about you the last two nights. I dreamt that tomorrow you will be used by God.’ I said, ‘But I won’t even play – Tiago will be in goal’. She insisted, ‘Tomorrow you will be used by God’. As soon as I got off the phone, Tiago turned to me and said, ‘Franklin, in training I’ve seen how well you’re doing stopping penalties. If it goes to penalties, do you not want to go in goal?’ My immediate thought was that I wouldn’t be warmed up, that I wouldn’t be in the rhythm of stopping shots. But because of what the woman had told me, I said, ‘Ok, I’ll do it’. Then I thought, ‘Damn, how will I tell PC this? He’s already angry with me’.
How did you feel during the game?
Usually, when you’re a reserve goalkeeper, you’re relaxed on the bench. But because the woman had told me I would be used by God, I stayed full concentrated. I really didn’t want to go on, I was desperate for us to win without me, but I believed that in some way I would end up going on. I was dreading having to tell PC, but when Spain equalised, I got up, summoned the courage and told him, ‘If it goes to penalties I’m going on’. He stared at me, shocked and angry, and said, ‘Ah, yeah?’ He called me every swear word possible! (laughs). He didn’t stop me, though. It would have been easy to stop me. I was in the squad because PC rated me, trusted me. As soon as the final whistle sounded, Tiago ran up to me for me to go on. I could still hear PC swearing at me! I said, ‘Thiago, have a few shots at me, I need to feel the ball’. He did and I ran on.
Brazil had lost the last two World Cups to Spain, the Maracanazinho was packed with futsal-impassioned Brazilians, you’d risked the wrath of PC… you must have felt the weight of the world on your shoulders?
I’ll be totally honest with you: if it was just Franklin, given everything you just said and the fact my family were all there, I don’t think I’d have been up to it. But because of what that woman had told me, I knew God was with me. When I saved the penalty from Torras, I thought, ‘Thank God we’re going to be world champions’. Ari was our best penalty taker – that’s why he was on the last one. When Ari missed, I walked back into the goal, opened my arms and said, ‘God, make the ball hit me’. And something crazy: she helped Brazil win the World Cup, but I’ve never met the woman who called me. Maybe if she reads this she will get in touch.
How did it feel to become a world champion?
I have goosebumps now just thinking about it. Wow. It’s hard to even put into words. Coming from where I’m from, becoming a world champion is highly improbable. It was a feeling of great relief – Brazil hadn’t won the World Cup for 12 years and we were playing in front of our people, we desperately didn’t want to let them down – an indescribable joy. It was a heavenly moment.
What were the celebrations like afterwards?
First – I’ll never forget this – as soon as we went into the dressing room, PC gathered us together. He said, ‘We’ve dedicated ourselves and trained as hard as possible. We watched thousands of videos. We’ve sweat beyond the realms of possibility. Despite all of this, we only managed to beat Spain on penalties. If we want to beat Spain again, we’ll have to do even more’. I think it was fundamental to us winning the next World Cup. PC was a genius. After that the celebrations were unforgettable. We went to a restaurant. There was us players, the coaching staff, our families, the TV crews and Ronaldo Fenômeno! Ronaldo Fenômeno, who is an icon for all of us, was thrilled. Can you imagine how that made us feel? I walked in the restaurant with my wife, he came over, gave me a big hug and said, ‘Franklin, I need to get a photo with you’. I said, ‘You’re joking me!? It’s me who needs to get a photo with you!’ He’s such a humble guy and was really cool with all of us.
What did you think of Falcao as a player?
He was on a different level. He did things that no other players from all over the world could pull off. He had ability that was off the chart. He had phenomenal talent. When he was playing for the team, you needed two, three players to match him. Falcao prepared, focused and playing for the team – added to his phenomenal talent – was unstoppable. I’m very grateful I got to play alongside Falcao.
Are you confident Brazil can regain the FIFA Futsal World Cup title next year?
I think futsal has changed. I think before we had stars who were on a completely different level to the rest: Manoel Tobias, Falcao, Kike. I think nowadays it’s more balanced. So many teams have lots of quality players. I’ve been impressed with how Brazil have grown in recent years. I believe we can win the title, but it’s also extremely difficult these days. In the past you had Argentina, Portugal always hitting the post [coming close to lifting trophies], but now they are winning titles. Iran are another team who have always had fantastic players and have the potential to win it.
Who do you think if the best goalkeeper in the world right now?
Guitta. He’s not only an excellent goalkeeper, but he also has something that I didn’t: he’s great with his feet.
Finally, both your sons have become pro athletes. Do you think futsal has helped them with this?
I think they both got into sport because of futsal, because of my story. I think it’s in their DNA. Matheus is a professional tennis player, he’s already been on the ATP [Tour]. He’s only 20. And Giovane is a professional beach tennis player. He played futsal, he trained with me. Returning a shot is kind of like saving a shot.
- منبع خبر : FIFA
Friday, 18 July , 2025