The state of Minas Gerais is full of small towns like this. The people are very welcoming, and I highly recommend having this kind of experience. I don’t really recommend cities like Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, although they are tourist destinations, they can be a bit dangerous…
About football, my team outside Brazil is Milan 😅 and one of my favorite players is Buffon. But I also like Totti, Pirlo, Nesta, and Maldini,golden era! I'm of Italian descent, so I'm also passionate about Italian football.
Would be nice to see the cities, of course, but I tend to prefer little places where the old authentic culture is still visible and, as you say, people tend to be more kind and opened. I will definitely take this into account... plus, watching the map, it doesn't seem so distant from Rio de Janeiro, in case I decide to visit both places.
Ahah, well, Milan was an amazing club too, especially during those times. Those players were something amazing, really legendary, even for us. We think of them with some nostalgia and regret, considering that our national team is living a very hard time 😅