“My goal is to show that even if you are deaf, you can play football”
|“In no world could I even think of playing, let alone playing for Portugal internationally” - Pedro Carvalheiro Image: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
18-year-old goalkeeper Pedro Carvalheiro represented Portugal with Futebol de Rua for the first time at the tournament in Fuenlabrada, Spain in November 2022.
“I feel proud to be a role model for people who are deaf. I am really thrilled to be part of this team. I’m from Portugal and I’m representing Portugal, I couldn’t be prouder.”
If you’d told Pedro Carvalheiro as a 12-year-old that he would be playing football for Portugal, he would have never believed you. He wouldn’t have heard you or been able to reply either. Communication only really became possible when he was 13.
Speaking to him at the tournament, it’s only translation support from English to Portuguese that we both need to communicate.
Pedro was born deaf and without his hearing aid, he can’t hear anything. Now, he happily chats and he smiles and laughs as he hears his teammates chant his name as we take some photos.
Going to speech therapy is one of the major things that changed Pedro’s life. Therapists realised it was his hearing that was causing the difficulties with his speech. This led him to have surgery and he was fitted with a hearing aid, giving him 10-15% of his hearing. But it was a friendship and starting to play futsal which really transformed how he lived.
“When I was 15, I made a friend who was very curious. She was interested in learning sign language, so I started speaking more with her in sign language. She introduced me to more people and although it was initially through sign language, it encouraged me to socialise more. Over time I stopped feeling so weird and different.”
Then he joined a futsal team, which he explained “was a big step to try and talk more.”
One day, a friend from futsal invited him to join street football. Pedro explains; “he thought I would be good so I went to the local tournaments and Portugal coach Bruno Seco was there. He picked me to play in the national championships, and now I’m here!”
“if you are realistic about it, you can be and do anything you want”
Pedro plays in net, this is where he believes he can make the most difference for his team: “I think that being goalkeeper is the perfect mix of being part of the team and contributing to the team. I feel that people can trust me when I’m in goal with my hearing difficulties. It’s where I feel people can trust me the most.”
“When other deaf people say to me, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do that’, he replies if you are realistic about it, you can be, and do anything you want. If you set a goal, you can achieve it. I feel proud to be a role model for people who are deaf. I hope my mindset will reach out to more people.”
Joining a street soccer team with hearing players has given Pedro a new perspective; “I don’t think there should be teams of only deaf players. This initiative really makes me feel part of something and feel less different and more normal. This was the best thing they could do for me, if it was all deaf, I’d feel like I’m here because I’m deaf and I play well. But being part of this team, I’m here because I play well compared to everyone.”
“In no world could I even think of playing, let alone playing for Portugal internationally. But then when I started, I thought maybe it’s possible. I must show strength and apply myself at training. Then the dream became a reality, and it was like going from 0-100!”
Find out more about Futebol de Rua and CAIS Association in Portugal and their street football programmes.
Words & Images: Rebecca Corbett
Translation: João Freudenthal