Cairo Santos really wants the chance to play football when the NFL goes to Brazil next year. The league announced on Wednesday that its first game in South America will be played at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, just an hour and a half away from the city where Santos was born.
Per the NFL’s Global Markets Program, the Dolphins are the only team linked to Brazil, so if Santos sticks with the Bears it seems unlikely that his dream will be realized. But he won’t be deterred.
“If there’s somebody I can contact in the NFL, I will try to make a case,” Santos said. “That would be amazing to do that.
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“I’m hoping they choose us over the Dolphins, but whatever, I’m going to try to be there.”
Santos believes the first NFL game in Brazil will be a historic day for the country, especially considering the country’s passion for the league. He said there’s a lively NFL scene in Brazil, where fans flock to bars to catch games wearing the jerseys of their favorite teams or players, no matter who’s playing. You’ll see Packers, Chiefs and Bears colors for a random Patriots game.
“They’ve been dying to have that close, in the game experience of going to a game, and really show how they are at soccer games. You know, singing, vuvuzelas, that kind of stuff.”
Santos has had a taste of Brazilians’ passion for sports. When he was still playing for the Chiefs, he had an opportunity to tour Arena Corinthians. He showed up wearing his jersey, which may have been a mistake, since one of Corinthians biggest rivals is a team called “Santos.”
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“So they saw the name Santos and they’re like ‘Get outta here Santos!’ That’s the soccer passion in them. So it was super cool to already be in that stadium and know how that probably will be. I’m happy that the dream is coming true for them.”
Santos hasn’t returned home since the COVID-19 pandemic but used to go twice a year, every year. Both he and his wife have family who live there. Even though he hasn’t been able to visit Brazil in several years, he still feels love from compatriots in the United States.
“Like with the Browns, I’ve always had that experience when I’ve played there before. Brazil flags in the stands, people calling my name and saying they’re Browns fans, but they hope that I make all my kicks and that I have a good game. And it was like, in Cleveland? Where is that coming from? But they’re there and they just want to support the NFL. It’s really cool that they’re fans.”
The Bears will play one AFC East opponent next year, but they’ll play the team who finishes in the same place as them in the standings. For instance, if the Bears finish third in the NFC North, they’ll play the team that finishes third in the AFC East. At 9-4, the Dolphins have a two-game lead over the Bills for first place in the division, so they’d have to drop and the Bears would have to improve to have a chance to play against each other.