In Brazil, soccer is the king of sports and allegiances run deep

Brian Taff Image
Thursday, September 5, 2024
In Brazil, soccer is the king of sports and allegiances run deep
On any given day, a different kind of football in São Paulo tends to overtake the town.

On any given day, a different kind of football in São Paulo tends to overtake the town.

In Brazil, soccer is the king of sports and allegiances run deep. It's handed down from one generation to the next, including in one very literal sense.

"Parents always give their children a gift in Brazil. The first gift is a ball, right?" said one resident.

That first gift lasts a lifetime in giving back to the community that gives so much of itself to this game.

"It moves an economy. People here in Brazil are passionate about football because it generates entertainment and the economy. So people end up falling in love with it to the point where there's no way around it," another resident said.

Not only is there no way around it, in many ways, all roads lead to it.

In São Paulo, if soccer is king, then the arena is its castle. All roads lead to the Corinthians Arena, where 48,000 dedicated ecstatic souls fill the seats for most games.

The game's a communal and much-needed release.

The Corinthians Arena, where the Eagles will play, was built ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was honored before it was even built as the best architectural project in the entirety of Brazil. It's rectangular design is meant to get fans as close to the field.