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 Maracana
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.
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 Pele and Garrincha. As a story of sport and racism in the
world's most popular sport, this book could not be more relevant today.