Much has already been said that this is a World Cup full of new situations. The first in a Middle Eastern country. Changed from mid-year to November. Tournament played on the outskirts of a single city. But the changes are not just in the competition. Brazilian football also has a new challenge.
And it’s not on the field. Politics and football were never far apart, despite beliefs and sayings. But the last post-World Cup cycle in Russia in 2018 (and presidential elections in the same year) provided a previously unseen symbiosis between the two areas. At least in the mix between supporters and political militancy.
In recent years, the shirt of the Brazilian national football team has been used in demonstrations of support for the current president of the country, Jair Bolsonaro (PL). And this will be the first major tournament played after that period.
It’s not like the yellow jersey has never been used in protests before. It’s not like football has never been used for political purposes. But this time, the intense and continuous use by a specific political group generated a certain symbolism.
So much so that, over the last few months, when you come across a person wearing the Brazilian shirt, there is an almost automatic association with political preference (and not with football). There is an embarrassment in the air of a portion of Brazilians in wearing yellow clothing. The fear of being confused.
In other times, weeks before the World Cup, it would be impossible to watch any commercial, on TV or on the internet, without the actors being in uniform. This year, many companies adopted controlled distancing. They prefer green or blue shirts. No wonder, CBF has invested in a campaign to unlink this image.
Yes, the yellow jersey of the Brazilian national team does not belong to any political group. She has a weight in football like no other. Five-time champion. Dressed by great stars. But it doesn’t seem easy to avoid the thought that the image of the uniform ended up identifying or being identified with one of the parts of a fractured country.
It is not uncommon for fans of other ideological backgrounds to start wearing Brazil’s uniforms in other colors. There’s the blue one. There’s the white one. There’s the black one. I don’t even need to say (and at the end I’m saying) that they are less emblematic shirts, compared to the yellow one. Some are training.
There are still those who put props on the yellow shirt, like a scarf of another color tied around the arm, trying to disassociate themselves from any hasty association.
Since the end of the election in which the Chief Executive was defeated by former President Lula (PT), hundreds of people gather daily in anti-democratic acts. In yellow, they ask for military intervention. In yellow, they are in front of barracks. This has increased the discomfort.
It is in this scenario that Brazil debuts in the World Cup against Serbia. Can victories help reverse the image and unify the relationship with the national team’s shirt? We’ll start to find out this Thursday.
The statements of support in the electoral campaign of some players did not help much. Especially when the team’s star, Neymar, promises to offer a goal to Bolsonaro. Of course, political preference is a right, but at the current time, it ended up associating the team’s number 10 with the president.
Maybe the turkey with the hopscotch can’t resist the goals, and with the hex the symbolism will be different again after December 18th.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
