During the 2010s, Xavier was considered one of the world's best players, having been bestowed the title of Best Player at the 2014 Beach Soccer Stars awards ceremony, and as one of the major icons of the game.[3][4] He is currently the 8th highest scorer of all time for the Brazilian national team, the highest ranked of any active player.[5]
Xavier was subsequently called up to the beach soccer national team but the competition for the spot of first team goalkeeper was intense. Xavier was considered as the team's third goalkeeper and did not get an opportunity to play. Brazil's then manager, Duda, believed he was good with the ball at his feet and had potential to be a good outfield player but he would have to train as such for a year before he could play in the national team.[6]
In 2008, aged 24, Xavier finally made his debut for Brazil, now transformed into an outfield player.[7] After impressing in the 2010 and 2011 Italian Serie A seasons, winning the best player of the year in both,[8] he was subsequently included in Brazil's provisional squad for the 2011 World Cup. However, then coach Alexandre Soares did not pick him for the final 12-man group, an extreme disappointment for Xavier.[9] His dream of playing at the World Cup was ultimately fulfilled by Brazil's successor coach, Júnior Negão, who included Xavier (now aged 29) in his final squad for the 2013 World Cup also giving him the number 8 shirt, previously worn by Negão himself.[9] The tournament proved to be highly successful for Xavier as an individual as he claimed the Golden Boot (Highest scorer) and Silver Ball (2nd best player) awards, cementing his importance to the Brazilian national team.[10]
At the inaugural Beach Soccer Stars awards in November 2014, Xavier was crowned the world's best player as voted for by fellow players and managers confirming his status as world beach soccer icon and not just to Brazil.[3] He has subsequently been in the top three nominees for the best player award in 2015, 2017 and 2018;[14][15][16] he was voted as part of the team of the year every year since the awards began until 2018,[17][18][19][20][21] the only player to be so.
Under a new coach (Gilberto Costa) and as captain, Xavier went on to lead Brazil to their first World Cup title in eight years in 2017.[2] In the September, Xavier earned his 100th cap for Brazil;[7] these achievements were part of a 66 match winning streak under his leadership which ended with a loss to Russia in November 2018 in which Xavier was controversially sent off in.[22]
In a huge surprise, Xavier was left out of Brazil's squad for the 2021 World Cup in Moscow. In an Instagram video, Xavier shied away from stating exactly why he had been left out of the team, but nevertheless did mention being unable to attend the World Cup qualifiers due to playing in Europe at the time, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel, and the introduction of younger players to the squad.[24]
As is typical for top beach soccer players,[25] Xavier has played for many club sides in numerous countries. They include Vasco da Gama, Corinthians, Espírito Santo FC and Sampaio Corrêa domestically as well as Catanzaro (Italy), Terracina (Italy), Strogino (Russia), Kristall (Russia), Alanyaspor (Turkey), Barcelona (Spain), Sporting CP (Portugal), Braga (Portugal), Kfar Qassem (Israel) in European leagues and international competitions.[26] After his exclusion from the Brazil national team in 2021, he continued his trade for clubs both nationally and internationally, including winning the best player award of the 2022 Italian Serie A season representing Pisa.[8] But this period of exclusion peaked for Xavier at the 2023 Euro Winners Cup, where he won the best player award of Europe's paramount club competition.[27] Soon after in November, he was called back up to the Seleção for the first time in nearly four years, now aged 39, for the 2023 South American Beach Soccer League.[28]
Personal life
Xavier is married to Mariângela Antunes who also plays beach soccer having been introduced to the sport through her husband; the couple wed in March 2009 and have two children, Luna and Cauã.[4]
In his home state of Espírito Santo, in Anchieta, Xavier set up the "Mission Training Center" which he established in order to "integrate young people into society through sport" as well as develop the next generation of Brazilian beach soccer players.[29] The centre also has a focus on developing women's beach soccer.[4] The centre has proved successful in nurturing players such as Gean Pietro and Raphael Silva who have gone on to represent the Brazilian national under-20 beach soccer team in winning the 2017 South American Under-20 Beach Soccer Championship.[29]
Júnior Negão and Juninho are his idols.[9] His nephew, Breno Xavier, is also a successful beach soccer player, having been champion of the Brazilian Championship; he pursued the sport because of his uncle.[30]
Statistics
Note: Some of the sources of these statistics may have counted an appearance when the player was actually an unused substitute.
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