The World Cup isn’t even halfway over yet, but on a street in Sines, in Alentejo, support for Portugal can already be seen on the ground. Two brothers decided to paint around 65 meters of road with the colors of the national flag, in an initiative that started as a family idea and ended up involving neighbors, city hall and even a tribute to Diogo Jota.
According to , Miguel Pereira, 25, and his sister Mariana, 23, were inspired by a tradition they have followed for years at World Cups: the painted streets in Brazil in support of the Canarian team. This time, they wanted to adapt the concept to Portugal and do it their own way.
Ihate that you came from television to the street
The decision wasn’t immediate, but it took shape when the two realized that this would be the right time to move on. “We had already seen Brazilians do this several times and we thought it could work here, but with our identity,” Miguel told the same source. Before starting, they tried to ask for authorization from the Sines City Council. The response was positive and paved the way for what would become a small local attraction.
To design the basis of the painting, the brothers used an artificial intelligence platform. They sent a photo of Rua António Botelho and asked for a concept inspired by the Portuguese flag. The result only served as a starting point. “He created something similar to our street, but then we changed several things”, explained Miguel. The adaptation was done manually, adjusting elements and adding details designed by the duo.
Tribute that marks the entrance
Right at the beginning of the street, there is a detail that stands out. The painting includes a tribute to Diogo Jota, with the number 21, worn by the player in the Seleção. The choice was not casual and ended up being one of the most talked about points by those passing by.
The publication says that the brothers also wanted to leave encouraging phrases such as “Força Portugal”, as well as the Seleção emblem and a football, composing a scenario designed to last as long as Portugal is in the competition.
Support that came from neighbors
The initial plan was to do everything together, but that quickly changed. As the idea was discussed among residents, more people wanted to participate. Some helped paint, others contributed to buy paint.
“Everyone here knows everyone and it was easy to talk to the neighbors,” recalled Miguel. According to the same source, the mutual help environment ended up transforming work into a social interaction that occupied most of the day.
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