An 11-year-old schoolboy who was born without feet has been invited to train at Barcelona's summer academy.

Gabriel Muniz, whose family were too poor to pay for treatment for his disability, has had to deal with his issue as best he could, and his constant football practice appears to have been worthwhile.

"The disability only exists inside our heads and he is proving it to everyone; he is challenging the social norms," The Sun quotes his gym teacher Jose Lopes as saying.

"When he arrived at the Barcelona academy in Rio, no-one believed in him.

"He proved to everyone there, he can go head to head with any other boy. So much so that he was invited to go to Spain next month, in September, to showcase his talent."

Muniz's hero is Lionel Messi, whom he will get to meet at the academy.