FC Barcelona have made only one change in their team in the current transfer window up to now, i.e., the incorporation of Vitor Roque. The Brazilian had already signed with the Catalan club in the last summer and now has begun his career in the blue and garnet colors.
Having arrived at Barcelona at the age of only 18 years, it will be a significant challenge for the Brazilian to adapt not only to a new club, but also to a new city, a new country, and a new continent vastly different from his own native Brazil.
The Catalan club is trying to do its best to make the Brazilian feel at home, and has given him a place in the locker room next to his compatriot, Raphinha. This association with a fellow Brazilian will certainly help Roque adjust at Barcelona, but as SPORT has noted, there is another familiar face that the striker will find at his new club.
This face is that of Joao Mendes, the son of one of the biggest Barcelona legends, Ronaldinho. Roque and Mendes had played together at the Brazilian club Cruzeiro when the former joined in 2019. Mendes had been with Cruzeiro since he was 13, and left only in 2022.
Together, they participated in a U-14 tournament in China, the Condion Cup, from which they emerged as the winners after beating a Korean team, Pyongyang, 3-1. Roque scored one of the goals in that match, to take his tally to four goals.
Mendes also scored two goals in four appearances in that tournament, and was one of the stand-out players. Currently, Mendes alternates between the Juvenil A and B teams of Barcelona, and his last appearance came in a match against San Francisco, where he played as a left-back despite being a forward.
On the other hand, Roque has already made his first-team debut after joining the team in January against Las Palmas in a La Liga fixture.
