FOOTBALL FEVER

Apart from having Brazil’s flag colors on the national team’s jersey, the country is obsessed with football.  More like a religion, Brazil considered the Mecca for football fans.

Football has easy to understand rules; no need of fancy gear or too much space, fast paced and fun to watch, all these factors made it a cult favorite amongst Brazilians. Ordinary people on the street hone spectacular skills of free styling and aiming.

Originally introduced by an Englishman, Charles Miller, he went to boarding school in England and returned to his birth country Brazil in 1892. His idea to spread football by teaching all his friends changed Brazilian culture for good. European influence faded and it became the game of people over time. This is where the sport was perfected, transforming it in an expression of talent and an effective tool for social cohesion.

Considered best in the world, Brazil team has won five World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) in the last 40 years, way ahead to the next best teams that are Japan, Italy and Australia. Along with winning the World Player of Year eight times, since its 19 years of existence. That’s more than any other country, setting the benchmark for excellence in football. So passionate are the people about football that the entire nation mourns the loss of a final match in a similar way it does when a disaster like earthquake/hurricane strikes the country.

 Brazil boasts of having produced some of the greatest players ever and can afford to do so. Socrates, Carlos Alberto, Garrincha, Rivaldo, Jairzinha, Romario, Rivelino, Zito, Ronaldo and Tostao make it on top of the list. Other fine players include Ronaldinho, Lúcio, Alexandre Pato, Júlio Cesar, Maicon, Luis Fabiano and Kaka. However, one footballer which is considered the best at his craft is, Pele. Brazilian footballers, with their mysterious charm and exotic sounding names add fresh approach in every game, enthralling the public. They stamp their authority over their opponents peerlessly (well, most times.)

In order to have a better shot at expanding avenues footballers are lured by European clubs, which moves them away from their native country. So it is inevitably that the talent pool of Brazil reduces and they struggle to impose themselves as significant rivals of European teams. However, this also works in their favor when famous professional players represent their country during World Cup.

 Women’s football is not as popular in Brazil as that of men’s due to the strong and continuous social stigma. Limited financial interest and support, makes the national teams lag behind and run only on small amateur, semi-professional and regional level. Despite taking part in the World Cup and Olympics, the team needs more than just opportunities; it needs encouragement and motivation from the nation to excel. 

Football is an important component of the national psyche. Children grow up idolizing payers and perfecting their skills. It is often a motivation for young boys and girls to spur them out of poverty and achieve great things in football or otherwise.

 World Cup tournaments are like a social phenomenon where people skip work to watch their national team play. Banks leave their employees 3 hours before the match starts while other offices specially set up apparatus in the workplace for everyone to watch together. Politicians are accused of taking advantage of this national surge for General Election and try to push their political campaign forward. Also, former footballers are often elected to legislative positions.

Brazil being the powerhouse of talented footballers has been on top of its game for decades. Players in the national team are said to be improving by the season; with a more structure and counter-attacking style that pushes them to excel. They are gearing up for the next World Cup in 2014, which the nation itself is hosting. Looking by this, the craze for football in this country will never seem to fade.

Palak Singh

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