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Chapecoense tragedy shows that football can unite the world and spread love

Brazil meet Colombia in a fundraising friendly on Wednesday to remind us all that, despite its ills, the game can still bring us all together

On Wednesday, Brazil meet Colombia in a fundraising friendly to support the families of those who perished in November’s tragic Chapecoense air disaster.

Brazilian football lost more than footballers, coaches and journalists that night.

They were friends and cousins. They were siblings and grandsons. They were lovers. They were fathers. They were sons.

They were also footballers who had shown Brazil another way. A period of big-spending on big names had seen Brazil's big clubs woefully underperform on the biggest stage in recent years.