Francis Ngannou has a very special message for Vinicius Jr. The latter, of course, is the forward in Brazil’s national soccer team and was found to have Cameroonian ancestry recently. The Brazilian national was officially presented with a certificate formalizing his Cameroonian roots ahead of Brazil’s clash against Uruguay.

The Real Madrid star was quite touched by this initiative from Brazilian Football Confederation. “Discovering that my roots are in Cameroon is a very special moment for me and my family. It reminds me that our origins and history are invaluable,” the soccer star said.

That is why Francis Ngannou wants Vinicius to embrace his roots, come back to Cameroon, and play for their national team at the 2026 soccer World Cup.

“I have my VINÍCIUS JR. jerseys for the Cameroon national team ready.

Brother @vinijr, we’re impatiently waiting for you at home. 🇨🇲

@fifaworldcup, here we come! 🏆🇨🇲,” Ngannou wrote.

Ngannou, of course, is by far the biggest Cameroonian sports star at the moment. The MMA champ is a huge soccer fan, and Vinicius’ club, Real Madrid, is his favorite club. And while he may hope Vinicius joins the Cameroonian national team, there is almost no chance that would be the case. Can’t fault Ngannou for trying, though. But Vinicius is not the only soccer star who traces their ancestry back to Cameroon and is beloved by Ngannou.

Kylian Mbappe enjoyed Francis Ngannou’s hospitality during Cameroon visit last year

Along with Vinicius Jr., another global soccer superstar traces his roots back to Cameroon- France and PSG captain Kylian Mbappe. The latter, of course, is perhaps the best soccer player in the world at the moment. The PSG superstar’s father hails from the Cameroonian island of Djebale, even though Mbappe himself was born and raised in Paris.

And Mbappe visited Cameroon last year to reconnect with his African roots, where he was hosted by Ngannou. The PFL champ served the soccer superstar a bowl of Ndole, a traditional Cameroonian dish made of stewed nuts, bitter leaves, and some sort of protein. “Respect to my brother,” Mbappe would write on social media along with a picture of him and Ngannou laughing together.

Of course, some fans couldn’t help but marvel at the type of attack the Cameroonian soccer team would have had if the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.’s families had stayed behind in Cameroon. But then again, there may not have been as many opportunities for them to succeed in Cameroon as there were in Brazil and France with their remarkably well-developed soccer infrastructure. However, Ngannou wouldn’t mind them coming back now that they are veritable superstars. What do you think about Ngannou’s invitation to Vinicius Jr.?