Inside the Brazilian Salford shop adored by World Cup football stars
The World Cup's biggest talents can't resist Brazilian snacks from a vibrant Chapel Street store.
The 2026 World Cup is underway and, as football fever sweeps Salford, we paid a visit to a Chapel Street shop famous for feeding some of the tournament’s biggest names. There we spoke to football-mad Brazilian Julia about her favourite Manchester City and United stars, their penchant for hot cheese balls and Amazonian rainforest soda, and life after swapping sunny Brazil for the changeable Salford weather.
Elsewhere, we round up the week across the city as a depraved paedophile teacher gets handed a lengthy prison term, a genius Salford firefighter developed a life-saving drone and the big-hearted woman behind a community hub hit by a fire celebrated its “phoenix-like” reopening.
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“It’s hard for Brazilians to adapt to the Salford rain - we give them a sense of home”
Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Casemiro will have to go without their favourite snacks from a Salford shop as they bid to win this summer’s World Cup with Portugal and Brazil.
These four players are among a growing number of high-profile footballers who regularly visit an unassuming Brazilian food store on Chapel Street, seeking a taste of home.
Mais Brasil Market has been fuelling Manchester City and United stars for a decade, with five-time Premier League winner Fernandinho, goalkeeper Ederson and Fred regularly stopping by in the early years to pick up produce from the South American nation.
They set the ball rolling as players from across the North of England soon found it hard to resist the scent of authentic Pão de queijo cheese bread and the sweetness of popular Amazonian soft drink Guarana.
“The footballers come in for food that reminds them of their childhoods, back on the streets of Brazil or Portugal,” said Julia Batista, a smiling joint-owner of the family-run shop. Behind her, Brazilian flags lined the counter, a figurine of Christ the Redeemer stood watch on a shelf and a canary-yellow shirt signed by the women’s international team hung on the wall.
The 26-year-old is proud that her store helps to give people in Salford’s Brazilian community “a sense of home when they are missing their mum, dad or family” or are longing for a ray of South American sunshine in the Greater Manchester rain.
She described the feeling of helping people feeling homesick as “like hugging,” adding: “A lot of Brazilians live here by themselves, and we give them a family; we are not just a shop.”
Of the footballers in the Mais Brasil family, she picked out “nice guy” Fernandinho as one of her favourite customers.
“Fred, who used to play for Manchester United, would talk to you in a way that you couldn’t tell he was a footballer. He was so nice.
“Ederson has been our most loyal customer and came here regularly for many years when he played for Manchester City. He loved the cheese balls.”
Hanging Brazil flag bunting around the store ahead of the World Cup starting, swept up in the buzz and excitement surrounding the tournament which kicks off on Thursday evening, she could not hide her hopes for the five-time winners.
“We are always so excited and proud of our country,” she said joyfully. “If Brazil is playing, everyone stops, everyone goes to see the game together.”
Julia explained that Brazil are chasing “the Hexa,” which translates to the elusive “sixth” World Cup that has evaded the most successful footballing nation for 24-years.
While that drought pales in comparison to the 60 years of hurt suffered by England fans, she explained that her customers will be heartbroken if the Seleção slip up in the competition hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
“Brazil does something wrong, we get mad, people cry and get emotional,” she said.
The 2026 tournament is the largest ever, with 48 countries competing for glory in North America. Luckily, Julia’s affinity with her Portuguese shoppers means she will have a back-up team to support should Brazil suffer an early exit.
“When I watch football, it’s because I’ve met a few footballers and it’s so nice to interact with them. Usually, I’m cheering about the footballers more than the team itself. So, if Brazil is out, I’ll definitely cheer for Portugal,” she said.
The smell of fresh Pão de queijo filled the shop as Julia brought out a warm sample with a cup of coffee. “It makes me feel proud when I see the reaction our food brings when people try it for the first time. It’s so nice to see the surprise on their faces when they try the food we have grown up eating and drinking back home.
Home for Julia was tropical, sun-drenched Espírito Santo, a seaside state north of Rio famed for its clear waters and golden beaches. Staring out the window as a deluge of rain lashes down, the shopowner admitted adjusting to the fickle weather has been difficult.
“It’s hard for Brazilians to adapt to the rain,” she said. “But I love it here and feel Salford is getting better and better because it is growing. The environment here is getting safer and we have a nice neighbourhood.
Her football-crazed friends in Espirito Santo were floored to learn their country’s biggest stars regularly stop by the store. “They cannot believe it,” she said, laughing.
“You’ve met this guy, and this guy! In Brazil, it’s really hard to get in contact with stars like this,” she explained, as she produced her phone and scrolled through a list of names yet to be mentioned who will be able to stop by the store this summer, as they’re not on the plane to the USA.
Philippe Coutinho’s move from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018 still ranks among the most expensive transfers in football history, at £142m. He is part of a select group to have graced both the hallowed Maracanã stadium and the more modest Chapel Street shop.
Manchester City winger Savinho also caught the eye, while Sheffield United’s Vinícius Souza journeys across the Pennines for a slice of South America.
Julia hopes that next time she sees some of her favourite football stars in her shop, they will have led her beloved Brazil to World Cup glory.
And what better way could there be to celebrate winning football’s most prestigious prize than washing down sumptuous cheesy bread spheres with a can of sweet Amazonian pop in the Salford drizzle?
Top news of the week
Paedophile Salford teacher jailed for 15 years for historical sex offences against pupil
A depraved paedophile teacher who worked at a Salford school has been jailed for 15 years for non-recent child sex offences against a schoolgirl.
Gary Day-Davies, 55, of Tyldesley, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 8 June after a jury found him guilty of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by touching a child.
The offences took place between 2006-09 when the survivor was a pupil at a school in Salford where Day-Davies taught. Read more here.
Man from Salford jailed for sexually assaulting two women on Warrington nights out
A man from Salford has been jailed for sexually assaulting two women in Warrington.
Raigal Ahmad was jailed for 14 months at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, 9 June, after he had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
The court heard that Ahmad, of Gerald Road, Salford, had sexually assaulted two women in two separate incidents in July 2024 and January 2025 whilst on nights out in Warrington town centre. Read more here.
Salford firefighter develops life-saving underwater drone
A forward-thinking Salford firefighter has developed an innovative underwater drone to save lives in open water emergencies.
Fireman Dave Allsey and his watch from Salford Community Fire Station have engineered an underwater drone which will help crews locate people more quickly during water emergencies. Read more here.
How a “phoenix-like” Salford community hub rose from the ashes after fire threatened its future
The woman overseeing a community hub in Broughton which was forced to close days after it opened in 2024, described the journey relaunching the “phoenix-like” centre.
“It was like burned toast, a little bit hazy in the air,” said Judith Richens, remembering the moment her plans for Marlborough Road Community Hub went up in smoke a few days after it opened its doors in July 2024. Read more here.
Salford MP writes to Attorney General urging review of Paul Quinn rape sentence
A Salford MP has written to the Attorney General urging a review of the sentence handed to the perpetrator of a Salford rape attack, for which Andrew Malkinson was wrongly jailed.
Paul Quinn, 52, was given a 24-year sentence for attacking a woman in Little Hulton in 2003 but could be eligible for parole in 14 years.
The father of six kept the secret of his brutal rape of a young mother to himself for 23 years while the innocent Mr Malkinson spent 17 years behind bars in one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. Read more here.
Dynamo’s first UK tour in a decade to begin in Salford
Renowned magician Dynamo will kick off his first UK tour in a decade at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.
The artist, now performing under his real name Steven Frayne, will begin his series of spectacular live shows with a five-day run in the city.
The master illusionist will open his nationwide tour in front of an audience at Salford Quays on Sunday 17 January before bringing the spellbinding run to a close on Thursday 21 January. Read more here.
What’s on in Salford this week
🐉🛶 Thousands of spectators are expected to line the banks of Salford Quays as the annual Dragon Boat festival comes roaring back to the city this weekend. Teams of experienced and amateur rowers will race colourful boats past Media City while spectators tuck into authentic food and watch traditional and contemporary Chinese cultural performances. First held at the Salford Water Sports Centre in 2012, the festival has attracted visitors from across the region for more than a decade. This year’s event takes place at MediaCity and Salford Quays on 13 and 14 June. Find out more here.
🏳️🌈🎤 A platinum-selling chart-topping disco group from the late 1970s, a MOBO award-winning hip hop act and a champion of RuPaul’s Drag Race are set to perform as Salford Pride marks its 15th anniversary this weekend in Peel Park. This year’s milestone festival will feature a celebrity-packed line-up including performances from Boney M, Big Brovaz and drag superstar Kyran Thrax. Adding to the fun, Walk the Plank’s touring Wagon Train will set up shop, providing family-friendly fun and entertainment for all and a drop-in yoga session. Read more here.
💬🏛️ Here’s a message we can all get behind: “Salford is not Manchester!” That’s the event name for an in-conversation event taking place on Sunday evening. Led by Owen Power and Salford Councillor Andrew Walters, the session will be a relaxed, informal conversation exploring Salford’s Jewish communities, including Haredi and independent groups, with opportunities for audience questions. It gets underway at 6pm on Sunday 14 June at Swinton Civic Centre. Tickets must be bought in advance to attend; find out more here.
📖 🗣️ On Saturday, Mancunian poet Tony Walsh will perform a poem about Salford Lads Club as part of a programme of events being held this June to celebrate its association with the band’s seminal third album, The Queen Is Dead. Walsh, who received an honorary degree from Salford University in 2018, is one of the UK’s most widely acclaimed poets and appears regularly on national television and radio stations. He will perform a poem celebrating the historic Ordsall youth club at a special open day featuring a string duo playing The Smiths’ songs and a lino-print workshop with artist Jantze Holmes.
📸🎸 On Sunday, the photographer behind the famous image of Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce outside Salford Lads Club is returning to Ordsall to take portraits of fans outside the same iconic doors. It’ll set you back £6 to be snapped like the Smiths. Find out more here.
Photo of the week
This week’s featured photo depicts the “Battle of Bexley Square” when up to 10,000 workers gathered in Salford to protest against the introduction of the means test on 1 October 1931.
The policy had been brought in by Ramsay MacDonald’s coalition government in response to the economic crisis following the 1929 Wall Street crash.
The Salford branch of the National Unemployed Workers’ Movement had planned a march to the town hall in Bexley Square to present a petition, but their route was blocked by police on arrival.
After a stand-off, the peaceful protesters were met with force from truncheon-wielding officers. Mounted officers charged the crowd, resulting in a number of serious injuries.
Among those present were Jimmy Miller, later known as renowned Salford singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl and Walter Greenwood, who later described the events in his novel Love on the Dole.
In 2011, a plaque commemorating the protest was unveiled in Bexley Square.
“This plaque is laid to commemorate the ‘Battle of Bexley Square’ which took place on 1 October 1931,” it reads. “A poignant moment in history where Trade Unionists rallied to protest against injustice to the working class people in Salford.”
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