The Black Man in Brazilian Soccer

<p>At turns lyrical ironic and sympathetic Mario Filho’s chronicle of “the beautiful game” is a classic of Brazilian sports writing. Filho (1908–1966)—a famous Brazilian journalist after whom Rio’s Maracanã stadium is officially named—tells the Brazilian soccer story as a boundary-busting one of race relations popular culture and national identity. Now in English for the first time the book highlights national debates about the inclusion of African-descended people in the body politic and situates early black footballers as key creators of Brazilian culture.<br/><br/>When first introduced to Brazil by British expatriots at the end of the nineteenth century the game was reserved for elites excluding poor working-class and black Brazilians. Filho drawing on lively in-depth interviews with coaches players and fans points to the 1920s and 1930s as watershed decades when the gates cracked open. The poor players and players of color entered the game despite virulent discrimination. By the mid-1960s Brazil had established itself as a global soccer powerhouse winning two World Cups with the help of star Afro-Brazilians such as Pelé and Garrincha. As a story of sport and racism in the world’s most popular sport this book could not be more relevant today.</p>