How football is used as a political tool in Brazil

Sport and major events such as the World Cup can provide a small economic boom for countries. In Brazil, retailers expect an injection of BRL 20 billion into the economy – a sorely needed stimulus. Besides finance, however, it can also be a tool to spur nationalism and promote political agendas. In Brazil, as in many countries around the world, politicians and governments rarely miss the opportunity to use the country’s favorite sport in their favor.

The easiest example of such a relationship came during the 1970 World Cup. During Brazil’s years of lead, when the military dictatorship’s political oppression reached new levels of cruelty, the government used the Seleção to steer up nationalism, tying the love for the team to love for the motherland. The government’s public relations sector repeatedly associated the administration and the 11 players in yellow jerseys.

Even Pelé, the “King of Football,” saw his image used by the government, which launched the Pelé Education Plan, which destined part of the revenue from state-controlled sports lotteries to the construction of new schools.

The interference of the administration in football was so great that the government even ordered a change to the national team’s coaching staff, sacking notorious leftist militant João Saldanha a short time before the tournament and replacing him with the docile Mário Zagallo. When the world’s greatest team came back from Mexico with the trophy, President Médici awarded the players with medals of honor and swept the countless human rights violations he oversaw under the...