Young Brazilian Boy Named After So Many Members Of France 2006 World Cup Squad He Can’t Even Remember His Own Name!

Chris Wright

3rd, July 2014

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By Chris Wright

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A seven-year-old Brazilian boy has hit the headlines in his native land after it emerged his fanatical father named him after almost the entire France World Cup squad of yore!

The boy’s father, Petrucio Santos became passionate about France and French football after visiting the country.

Indeed, Petrucio was so enamoured by all things Gallic that, when his son was born shortly after France beat Brazil at the World Cup in ’06, he named him after Zinedine Zidane…among several other members of the squad.

The boy’s name in full: Zinedine Yazid Zidane Thierry Henry Barthez Eric Felipe Silva Santos

Thankfully, the poor little guy is know simply as “Zidane” which is good news for the young’n himself as, while he’s got his first three names memorised, he understandably has a bit of trouble remembering the rest of it!

“I don’t know [the rest of my names] yet. I never learned them,” Zidane told Globo’s G1 website.

As well as Zidane, Henry and Barthez, Petrucio included tributes to Eric Cantona and Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari – Silva Santos being the family name.

“I was won over by the friendliness of French people,” Petrucio, a shopkeeper from Maceio told G1.

“I decided to learn the language to be able to speak it without sounding ridiculous if I visit again!”

However, when little Zidane was asked whether or not he liked his name, he grumbled: “No. I would have loved to be named Luiz Gustavo,” after the handsomely-moustachioed Brazilian midfielder.

We think that face probably says it all!

(Via G1)