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The Kansas City Current won the 2026 Teal Rising Cup dominantly Sunday evening, defeating Brazil’s Palmeiras 6-1 at CPKC Stadium.
Palmeiras forward Bia Zaneratto scored the lone goal for the Brazilian club, bringing to life the popular Brazilian superstition of the "law of the ex."
In Brazil, the "law of the ex" states a player is destined to score a goal when playing against their former team.
Zaneratto spent two years playing for the Current before returning to Brazil for the 2026 season.
"I think it’s a very special place for me. There’s no way not to remember the great moments I experienced here," Zaneratto said about her return to CPKC Stadium.
The interview was conducted in our native Portuguese.
"It’s a bit strange to face the Current, right?" Zaneratto said. "It feels like home to me; I also consider it my home."
Back in Kansas City for the Teal Rising Cup, Zaneratto had the chance to meet with former teammates.
"I was very happy to see them again," she said. "I hugged all of them. They were telling me to come back — that’s really nice."
The trip was also a chance to show a bit of Kansas City to her current teammates — and to go shopping.
"Everyone always wants to buy something here in the U.S.," Zaneratto said.
Zaneratto said there are many things she experienced in Kansas City that she wishes existed in Brazil.
"We know we have the talent, but sometimes what’s missing is the environment around it," Zaneratto said.
The Teal Rising Cup also highlighted the Current's efforts to expand the game's reach. The team is the first in the National Women’s Soccer League to provide broadcasting in Portuguese and Spanish.
Gui Fadlalla, a sports broadcaster for Tico Sports, is one of the voices calling the games in Portuguese.
"It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to give access to people who don’t have it," Fadlalla said. "It's awesome to see this. It's a privilege, an honor to be able to be part of this."
Hannah Bassham brings the broadcast to life in Spanish.
"The most beautiful part of this has been getting to take the language and translate it for the women. Instead of 'jugador,' you say 'jugadora,'" Bassham said. "It’s been such a game changer for me, and I hope that’s the same way people feel when they can listen to a sport they may not have previously had access to in the language they prefer."
Bassham said this is an opportunity to inspire young Latinos and Latinas.
"I just hope that they, too, can represent their culture, their language, and what they love without fear — and to provide access to our communities who are here but are not seen, heard or elevated in traditional media spaces," Bassham said.
Oscar Monterosso, with Tico Sports, helped develop the project to connect with the community.
"Yes, we are in the United States. Yes, we need to know English. But the community also wants to stay connected to its roots," Monterosso said. "Women’s soccer is not just here in Kansas City. This is a global thing. This is worldwide."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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