故事发生在1970年,巴西队在墨西哥第3次夺得了世界杯冠军,但是当时正是军事独裁期间。本来由于胜利举国上下一片欢腾,但是这份欢乐却因黑名单的出现而蒙上了一层阴影。故事讲述了一个12岁的小男孩独自长大的故事。故事在小男孩Mauro(Michel Joelsas/饰)和他的犹太邻居之间的关系之间展开,Mauro因为被抛弃,找不着自己的父母而感到苦恼,事实是Mauro的父母已被国内军事政府拘留。由于邻居的帮助,Mauro的苦恼、孤独有所缓解。足球是Mauro的至爱,他也喜欢收集球星的图片,在桌上玩足球模型游戏,并期望能成为一名守门员。就像其他数百万巴西人人一样,足球在他们生命中很重要……In 1970, near the World Cup, Daniel Stern and his wife Miriam leaves Belo Horizonte in a hurry and scared with their ten years old son Mauro in their Volkswagen. While traveling to São Paulo, the couple explains Mauro that they will travel on vacation and will leave Mauro with his grandfather Mótel. Daniel promises to return before the first game of the Brazilian National Soccer Team in the Cup. The boy is left in Bom Retiro, a Jewish and Italian neighborhood, and waits for Mótel in front of his apartment. When the next door neighbor Shlomo arrives, he tells the boy that Mótel had just had a heart attack and died. Alone and without knowing where his parents are, the boy is lodged by Shlomo and the Jewish community. Through the young neighbor Hanna, Mauro makes new friends, cheers for the Brazilian team and sees the movement of the police and militaries on the streets while waiting for his parents.