Football was introduced to Brazil by Scottish immigrant Thomas Donohoe.[1] The first football match played in Brazil was in April 1894, played on a pitch marked out by Donohoe next to his workplace in Bangu.[1]
In the 1870s, like many other British workers, a Scottish expatriate named John Miller worked on the railroad construction project in São Paulo with other European immigrants.[7][8][9] In 1884, Miller sent his ten-year-old son Charles William Miller to Bannister School in Southampton, England, to be educated. Charles was a skilled athlete who quickly picked up the game of football at the time when the Football League was still being formed, and as an accomplished winger and striker Charles held school honors that gained him entry into the Southampton F.C. team, and later into the county team of Hampshire.
In 1888, the first sports club was founded in the city, São Paulo Athletic Club. In 1892, while still in England, Charles was invited to play a game for Corinthian F.C., a team formed of players invited from public schools and universities. On his return to Brazil, Charles brought some football equipment and a rule book with him. He then taught the rules of the game to players in São Paulo. On December 14, 1901, the "Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball" was founded, organising its own championship, "Campeonato Paulista", first held in 1902. Therefore, Campeonato Paulista became the oldest official competition in Brazilian football.[10] Another important club, called Società Sportiva Palestra Itália club, that was founded in 1914 played a big role in helping Italian immigrants get accustomed to Brazilian society.[11] The club's goal was to promote "Italian identity and allegiance, helping the immigrant community to cultivate a sense of discrete ethnicity".[11]
São Paulo Athletic Club won the first three years' Paulista championships. Miller's skills were far above his colleagues at this stage. He was given the honor of contributing his name to a move involving a deft flick of the ball with the heel "Chaleira" (the "tea-pot"). The first match played by one of Miller's teams was six months after Donohoe's.[1]
Charles Miller kept a strong bond with English football throughout his life. After a tour of English team Corinthian F.C. to Brazil in 1910, Corinthians was established on September 1, taking on the name of the British side after a suggestion from Miller. In 1913 there were two different editions of the Campeonato Paulista. One was organized by the Associação Paulista de Esportes Atléticos (APEA) while the other one was organized by the Liga Paulista de Foot-Ball (LPF).
Garrincha (left), Brazilian winger and 1962 World Cup star, is regarded as one of the greatest dribblers of all time.
Brazil plays a very unfundamental and distinctive style. For example, dribbling is an essential part of their style.[13][14][15][16]
After the third title in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, Brazilian football experienced a drought of World Cup titles, which would only end in 1994. In the meantime, despite playing flashy football that enchanted the world (like the 1982 FIFA World Cup squad), the Seleção started to prioritize results-based football. Thus, since the mid-1990s, Brazilian football began to lose its characteristics. For Tostão, Brazilian football has become outdated: "The most classic example of this is that in the last 20 years Brazil has not had a single great midfield player. And this happened because there was a division in the midfield between the midfielders, who play scoring further back, and two midfielders, who play up front, close to the opponent's area. The game lost exchange of passes in that environment. The Spanish and Germans do this very well. That was the best Brazil had in my time and disappeared. We had Gérson, Rivellino, Clodoaldo, then Falcão, Toninho Cerezo. This is what Iniesta, Rakitic, Modric and Kroos did, for example, and what Xavi and Schweinsteiger did. This characteristic that the Europeans encouraged most, the Brazilians devalued. We created many area dribblers. This is just one example of how Brazilian football has gone down the wrong path."[17][18][19]
The great exodus of players in recent years to European competitions has generated a great debate in the country, especially about the consequences this would have on the style of Brazilian football, as it could "Europeanize" the way players act.[20]
Brazilian team
The 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning Brazil team, considered by many distinguished commentators as the greatest football team ever
The Brazil national football team is one of the main national football teams in the world. The biggest winner of the FIFA World Cup, with five titles, Brazil is known for its yellow and green shirt, with blue shorts and white socks, the four colors of the national flag. Because the shirt is predominantly yellow, the Brazilian team is also treated as the Canarinho team.[21][22]
Founded on July 21, 1914, the 12th anniversary of Fluminense Football Club, the Seleção played its first game at the Laranjeiras Stadium, against the English team Exeter City. The Brazilian team is widely considered the most relevant team in world football.[23]
The Brazilian national team also won the Copa América on eight occasions, the Confederations Cup on four, and in 2016 and 2020 won the gold medal, awarded to football champions at the Olympic Games, in the edition of the games held in Rio de Janeiro , having won three silver medals for runners-up and two bronze medals for third places.[24]
The Brazilian team's biggest rivals are Argentina and Uruguay on the American continent. In addition to these, the Europeans, England, Italy and the Netherlands, are traditional opponents, due to the clashes held, mainly in World Cups.[25][26][27][28]
Entities
CBF
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is the highest sports entity in the country. It organizes all championships in the national territory and represents Brazil in international competitions between countries with the Brazilian team. It is headquartered in the city of Rio de Janeiro.[29]
State federations
State Federations are responsible for regulating football in each State within its jurisdiction. They are inferior bodies linked to the CBF, having their own autonomy to organize championships, elect president, sign contracts and recognize clubs and associations linked to the sport.[30]
Sports justice
The Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD, in Portuguese) is a legal body in the field of sports in Brazil. He is responsible for judging cases involving clubs and athletes. It is common for them to participate in the daily life of Brazilian football through trials of cases of suspension due to red and yellow cards, cases of aggression or even doping. Its lower body is the Sports Justice Court (TJD, in Portuguese), which operates at state level.[31][32]
Main clubs
Grenal, one of the fiercest football rivalries in the world.
A source of great controversy in Brazil, the football calendar has over time been the target of criticism from fans, specialized journalists and even club directors. With the approval of the "Football Fan Statute" by the National Congress, changes began to transform the national calendar. According to the CBF, the intention is to make the Brazilian calendar compatible with those of European countries, to reconcile the interests of national and international football organizations.[35][36]
The Brazilian season traditionally starts in January. Today, the first competition to be played by professional squads is the state championships. Previously, between the mid-1990s and 2002, regional competitions, such as the Rio-São Paulo Tournament, the Copa Sul-Minas and the Copa Nordeste, for example, were held at the beginning of the year. They involved teams from different states. However, they were extinguished, as they overwhelmed the big teams in the first half. The Copa do Brasil, played in the first half of the year, grew and gained importance. This is the only national competition that involves clubs from all states in Brazil, classified based on state tournaments from the previous year. By decision of the CBF, the Copa do Brasil now also includes the participation of teams qualified for the Libertadores da América, also played in the first half of each year. Bahia team was the first Brazilian champion, in 1959.[37][38][39]
The Brazilian Football Championship, also popularly known as Brasileirão, has been held between May and December normally, since 2003. As it starts before the middle of each year, the championship suffers with the opening of the foreign market between July and August, causing many players move to other countries. Furthermore, its beginning takes place during the decisive phase of the Copa Libertadores and its completion is in competition with the Copa Sudamericana.[40]
In total, a Brazilian club can end up playing around 70 matches throughout the year. There are 20 more compared to the representatives of the main European leagues, or 22 compared to their South American neighbors. First division games in the country usually take place in rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, in the evening, and Saturday and Sunday, in the afternoon.[41]
In the past, the state and national championships, since they were created, divided the Brazilian football calendar. One competition for each semester. Furthermore, in parallel to the state competitions, there were municipal and regional competitions and, in some places, the Home Tournament, which had all its matches in just one day.
Football is a significant part of the Brazilian identity. It is considered the country's most significant socio-cultural activity. In this way, football is not only a sport, but also an essential part of Brazil's cultural identity. It is the most popular sport in Brazil, and Brazilians passion for the sport makes them often refer to their country as "o País do Futebol" ("the country of football").[42]
The integration of the sport in different segments of society marked the beginning of the Brazilian football identity. The sport became part of Brazilians daily life, and with time, it also became part of the popular culture.[43]
The biggest evidence of the importance that football has on Brazilian culture is the World Cup. Every four years, Brazilians dominate the streets, cheering and celebrating their country. The sport brings people together.[44][45][46]
However, in recent years, with the rise of the internet, which makes it easier to follow any sport, and with Brazil's evolution in Olympic sports (the country became one of the 15 strongest in the world at the Olympic Games), the Brazilian population has been changing their tastes, and begins to become more interested in sports such as surfing, skateboarding, tennis, swimming, judo, volleyball and others, reducing the importance of football.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53]
Women's football
Women's football, unlike men's, has noticeably less popularity in the country.
There's a parallel federal pyramid. That means each club plays its state championships and only some biggest clubs play on the federal championships. Those two systems run in parallel there's no direct rank or relegation-promotion from one to the other besides state federations being responsible for appointing one to four clubs each to form each year Campeonato Brasileiro Série D. Each state set its own rule for those appointments but it's usually done through best position of the clubs on the top state tier that does not play any federal league or by a qualifying tournament, e.g. Copa Paulista is a tournament to select the fourth qualified from São Paulo (state) to Série D.
Campeonato Brasileiro Série D - 64 clubs (promotes 4 to Série C, other 60 demised). Despite the 4 relegated from last year Série C, all other 60 spots are designated by state federations by their own criteria.
State top tiers run from January to April and federal leagues from May to December, so clubs on federal leagues can handle their state schedule without conflict. Lower state tiers run from February to November.
Although uncommon it's possible for a 'big' club to be relegated to its state second-tier league while still playing a federal league. It happened for instance to Criciúma who was relegated to 2022 Campeonato Catarinense Série B, the second-tier league on Santa Catarina pyramid, while still playing Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. They resolved the problem of schedule conflict fielding a junior team in 2022 Campeonasto Catarinense Série B. Many of the states championships have their own promotion/relegation system.
Largest Brazilian football stadiums
Stadiums with a capacity of 40,000 or higher are included.
São Caetano Futebol Clube, formerly known as Associação Desportiva São Caetano, commonly referred to as São Caetano, is a Brazilian professional football club based in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo founded on 4 December 1989. It competes in the Campeonato Paulista Série A3, the third tier of the São Paulo state football league.
The Copa do Brasil is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and it is the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de Portugal, Copa del Rey, Scottish Cup and Copa Argentina, even though it has much more prestige and is considered almost as important as the Brazilian League, as the prize money is higher than the Brasileirão's. The Copa do Brasil is an opportunity for teams from smaller states to play against the big teams. The winner of the cup automatically qualifies for the following edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, the most prestigious continental football tournament contested by top clubs in South America organized by CONMEBOL.
Guarani Futebol Clube, colloquially called Guarani, is a Brazilian association football club in Campinas, São Paulo. Guarani is the only club not based in a state capital or coastal city to have won the top tier of the Brazilian Championship. The team currently play in the Série C, the third tier of Brazilian football, as well as in the Campeonato Paulista Série A1, the top tier of the São Paulo state football league.
Ituano Futebol Clube, commonly referred to as simply Ituano, is a Brazilian association football club in Itu, São Paulo. They currently play in the Série C, the third tier of Brazilian football, as well as in the Campeonato Paulista Série A2, the second tier of the São Paulo state football league.
Rogério Ceni is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who is in charge of Bahia. He is considered one of the all-time greatest Brazilian goalkeepers and is recognised by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics as the goalkeeper to have scored the most goals in the history of football. During the height of his career (2005–2008) he was also recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
The Triple Crown of Brazilian Football is an unofficial title given to the club that won the three most important competitions of the Brazilian football in the same year: The Brazilian triple crown would involve the two major CBF competitions and the state championship. In general, in Brazil the term "triple crown" is used to win any three official titles in the same season.
The Brazilian states football championships are the professional adult male football competitions in Brazil that take place between January and April for the Northeast, Central-West, Southeast and South regions. In some states from the North Region, however, it takes place in May or June. One such league, the Campeonato Paulista, which started in 1902, is the oldest football competition in Brazil. All professional football clubs in Brazil play in a state championship, but not all qualify for the national league.
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino, also known as Brasileirão Feminino, is an annual Brazilian women's club football tournament organized by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, or CBF. It is the country's premier women's football competition and the first professional women's league in the country.
Luiz Carlos Bombonato Goulart, known as Luizão, is a Brazilian football pundit and retired forward.
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, commonly referred to as the Brasileirão, the Série A or the Brazilian Série A, is a Brazilian professional league for men's football clubs. At the top of the Brazilian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. In 2021, the competition was chosen by the IFFHS as the strongest national league in South America as well as the strongest in the world.
Edcarlos Conceição Santos, known simply as Edcarlos, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Betim.
Josué Anunciado de Oliveira, or simply Josué, is a former Brazilian defensive midfielder.
Esporte Clube XV de Novembro, commonly referred to as XV de Piracicaba, is a professional association football club based in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. The club competes in the Série D, the fourth tier of the Brazilian football league system, as well as in the Campeonato Paulista Série A2, the second tier of the São Paulo state football league.
Marcos Luis Rocha Aquino is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Palmeiras as a right back.
Anderson Vieira Martins is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Guilherme Antonio Arana Lopes, known as Guilherme Arana, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Atlético Mineiro and the Brazil national team.
The following article presents a summary of the 2020 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which is the 119th season of competitive football in the country.
The following article presents a summary of the 2021 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which was the 120th season of competitive football in the country.
1 2 Bocketti, Gregg P (2008). Italian Immigrants, Brazilian Football, and the Dilemma of National Identity (2ed.). Journal of Latin American studies. p.285.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
