The Brazil international was appointed at a ceremony at his club’s training centre, becoming the second football player from his country to serve as a Unesco goodwill ambassador after Pele.

“Vinicius Jr is not only an exceptional footballer, he has also been committed from an early age to promoting equal opportunities through education in Brazil,” Audrey Azoulay, director-general of Unesco, said in a statement.

“He is a role model for an entire generation and Unesco is honoured to have him today as one of its goodwill ambassadors.”

Vinicius, 23, created the Vinicius Jr Institute in 2021 with the aim of promoting education among Brazilian children and teenagers in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

“I’ve been fighting for education since I was 19 and up until this year I’ve only had my own resources, and my institute is growing month by month in Brazil,” Vinicius said.

“With the power that Unesco is, we’re going to impact the world,” he added.