In commemoration, Joao Cancelo has opened up about the woman who inspires him most - his mother.
Although she is sadly no longer with us, the 26-year-old says he strives every day to make her proud, adding he feels she is blessing his path.
“For me, this is a very easy answer, although it is simultaneously difficult,” he said. “The most important woman in my life is my mother, without a shadow of a doubt.
“There are a few women that had and have a huge impact in my life - my daughter, who’s 14 months soon, is one of them but my mother is the one who had the biggest impact.
“She was always there, taking me to school, football... and whenever I would make a mistake, she would be there to reprimand and give me advice.
“My father was an immigrant in Switzerland, so for a long time I lived with my grandparents. My mother spent a lot of her time working but during the moments I had with her, I was always very happy.
“Today, I really miss my mother but I know that, wherever is that she might be, she is blessing my path.
“Today I can have everything I want and everything my mother and I always dreamt of. I always told her that I would give her a house, a car and make every single one of her dreams come true.
“Today, I have it all but I do not have her. It is a missing part of me and an emptiness within and there isn’t anything I can do to change it but while I’m here alive, I will always show her that her son is well, strong and keeps fighting for his goals in life.
“I want to be successful in everything I do, to show my mother that she can be proud of the son she left behind.”
Watch the interview above...
