“If there is one quality I passed on to him, it is the determination to keep pursuing what you want,” his mother, Flavia Junqueira, explained.
Joao Pedro’s journey shows that he has repeatedly needed to follow that advice.
He was raised primarily by his mother and grandmother.
Accounts of Joao Pedro’s childhood indicate that his father, former Botafogo player Jose Joao de Jesus—better known as Chicao—was largely absent after spending about eight years in prison for being charged as an accessory to murder.
Junqueira later ended the relationship and devoted her attention to developing her son’s football talent.
“Joao had an ambition, and I embraced it alongside him,” she said. “There was no limit to what I was prepared to sacrifice for that dream.”
Joao Pedro grew up in Ribeirao Preto, roughly nine hours inland by car from Rio de Janeiro, and was eventually noticed by Fluminense as well as several other major Brazilian clubs.
Fluminense was considered the strongest choice for his development. Like his father, he initially played as a defensive midfielder before gradually moving into more advanced positions.
Choosing that path, however, brought considerable challenges.
Junqueira gave up her job and left her friends and relatives behind to move to Rio. Overcome by homesickness, Joao Pedro cried frequently during the trip and throughout the following weeks.
His difficulties continued at the academy, where he was told that he lacked the necessary strength and was unlikely to succeed. The criticism left him in tears once more.
Despite having far less money after leaving her job, his mother employed a personal trainer to help him improve physically.
Initially, he followed a healthy diet and trained properly only because his mother insisted. In time, though, he understood why the work mattered.
“He was extremely slim, and the physical difference between him and other players of the same age was substantial,” said Rodrigo Goncalves, his long-term personal trainer.
“He always continued with his training. There were occasions when he was reluctant and needed encouragement from his mother, but he still attended.
“His attitude gradually evolved as he grew older. He came to realize that training was not merely an obligation imposed by his mother, but a way to sharpen his game, strengthen his body and achieve the physical stability required in football.”
Joao Pedro developed into one of Fluminense’s leading academy prospects and attracted the attention of Watford’s South American scout, Rafa Monfort. A call from Richarlison, now a Tottenham forward who had previously followed the same route, also played an important part.
Having followed Premier League football enthusiastically from a young age, Joao Pedro was excited by the prospect of joining Watford. Nevertheless, satisfying the Governing Body Endorsement requirements and obtaining permission to work in the UK took approximately eight months.
Junqueira believes the spectacular overhead kick Joao Pedro scored against Cruzeiro in May 2019, when he was 17, helped persuade officials that he possessed the exceptional ability needed to justify the transfer.
After the family reached England in December 2019, Junqueira discovered unexpectedly that her bank cards did not function there. Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who was playing for Watford at the time, stepped in to support them and even purchased their Christmas meal.
The pandemic and lockdown began a few months later, but Joao Pedro took advantage of the unusual break to resume intensive physical work with Goncalves. By adding about eight kilograms of body mass, he reshaped his physique and prepared himself for Premier League competition.
By the end of that phase, he had developed from a tearful youngster into an established top-flight player equipped to handle every new obstacle with confidence.
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