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The beautiful game is everywhere in Rio de Janeiro and particularly on its iconic beaches and in the heart of its favelas. Football is a huge part of Brazilian culture and the game is played out in purest form beneath Rio's spectacular backdrops, far removed from the scandals to have threatened the game in recent years. For children growing up here, it provides a daily escape from the reality of their often difficult and dangerous surroundings. Despite the long odds, it offers a very different future for the few who are good enough - and lucky enough - to make the grade.