Vinícius Jr records Arabic video for Sudanese boy, 13, who lost both legs in Khartoum drone strike

Thirteen-year-old Zaher was selling lentils on the streets of Khartoum with his mother to survive the war when a drone fell nearby and cost him both legs. Last year he told the BBC his favourite footballer was Vinícius Júnior. This week, Vinícius answered.

The Real Madrid forward recorded a personal video message in Arabic for Zaher, who watched it in Cairo, where he had spent nearly a year undergoing surgery, physiotherapy, and learning to walk again on prosthetic legs. In the message, Vinícius acknowledged the boy's ordeal, urged him to use his new legs to return to football — and invited him to attend a match at the Santiago Bernabéu and spend the day together.

I heard your story and I know how difficult the past few months have been for you. I hope you make good use of your new prosthetic legs, return to playing football and find happiness. You deserve it.— Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid forward

I would like to invite you to watch a match in Madrid. We can spend the day together.— Vinícius Júnior, Real Madrid forward

Zaher's response was immediate and emotional.

Tell Vinicius that I love him. His message lifted my spirits a lot.— Zaher, 13-year-old Sudanese boy

He added that he hopes to obtain a visa one day to accept the invitation, according to BBC News.

Zaher and his mother, Habiba, were trapped in Khartoum in 2024 as fighting raged between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces — a conflict that began in 2023. With no money to leave, they sold lentils on the street. After a drone strike nearby, Zaher suffered injuries that required the amputation of both legs.

When the BBC reported his story, British lawyer of Sudanese origin Dana Latif helped organise an online fundraising campaign that raised £45,000 — around $60,000 — to pay for his treatment. Getting Zaher and his mother out of Sudan took months of planning: their passports and birth certificates had been destroyed during the war, complicating every step.

They eventually reached Cairo, where Zaher underwent further surgery and began months of rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and psychological support to help him process the trauma. He learned to use his prosthetic legs, walk, and kick a ball again. Dr Bintelmuna Elteyeb, who took part in his treatment, said the boy had become much more confident and smiled more often, according to BBC News.

Zaher and his mother have since returned to Khartoum, where they hope to have his prosthetics adjusted as he grows. The practical challenge of that — ongoing care in a country still at war — underlines what his story represents beyond the moment of connection with a football star.

According to UNICEF, more than 17 million children in Sudan currently require humanitarian assistance. The organisation has verified that at least 4,300 children have been killed or maimed in the conflict, and notes the true figure is likely considerably higher.

Why it matters — Zaher's story puts a single face on a UNICEF-documented crisis affecting millions of Sudanese children, while his partial recovery — and the international attention it drew — shows both what outside support can achieve and how much remains out of reach for those without it.

Reported by ua.news, africasoccer.com