Thanks to Paris Saint-Germain, Rudy meets Neymar Jr... at last!
If at first you don't succeed, try and try again! Thanks to Paris Saint-Germain, 8-year-old Australian Rudy has seen his dream come true after he finally got the chance to meet his idol Neymar Jr after months of trying!
This is not your average fan story! Rudy is a huge Neymar Jr fan and has been trying for over a year to see his idol play! In June 2017, the youngster was all excited at the idea of seeing his favourite player in action when Brazil played Argentina in his hometown Melbourne. But Neymar Jr was forced to withdraw from the squad at the last minute.
Rudy’s family decided to organise a trip to Barcelona to see the Brazilian in action at the Camp Nou in October 2017. But in between booking the tickets and the trip, Neymar Jr was transferred to Paris Saint-Germain. Instead of cancelling the family holiday, they went to Barcelona for the game, only for the match to be played behind closed doors during the Catalonia independence referendum. More bad luck for Rudy and his family!
That day, Rudy and his family crossed paths with a journalist outside the Camp Nou. Moved by the youngster’s story, Andy Mitten told the story of Rudy’s doomed adventures to meet his idol with some tweets and an article in GQ. Paris Saint-Germain saw the story and decided to invite Rudy to the Parc des Princes to make his dream come true.
Unfortunately, there was another cruel twist of fate when the Paris No.10 was seriously injured just a few weeks before the planned visit. Rudy thought it was never going to happen!
But last Sunday the big day finally arrived! Paris Saint-Germain invited Rudy and his family to the Parc des Princes for the huge Ligue 1 clash against Olympique Lyonnais. And this time, nothing went wrong! Welcomed by club chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, Rudy received a full kit and, just before the warm up, Rudy spotted Neymar Jr just a few metres from him. Rudy then watched NJR and his teammates warm up before watching the game in Neymar’s personal suite and becoming friends with his son Davi Lucca.
After the match, Rudy was invited down to the changing room to have a chat with his idol. An incredible moment for the youngster, but also for the superstar: “It's an incredible story when I heard about everything he did to try and see me play, whether it was in Australia or when I was playing in Barcelona. Now, today, he got to see me play. It's special, really special, because he's just a kid and I know how it feels at that age, and I'm very happy to receive all that admiration and affection from him.”
Rudy was in seventh heaven: “It’s incredible, a dream come true. I really can’t believe it.” He may not believe it yet, but Rudy certainly won’t forget this incredible night at the Parc des Princes.