Between passion and racial insult: racism and Brazilian football

Abstract

Racism in football has been a very current topic throughout the world. The recent cases against black players, especially Brazilians, have brought to light a discussion that needs to be addressed. Seeking to give historicity to racism in Brazilian football and at the same time to the integration of black people in this sport, which lives with the ambiguity of being a national passion and at the same time being a space for racial insults against this population, is a way of understanding the relationships and racial and social hierarchies existing in the country. In this article, we will discuss some experiences related to being a black player in Brazil, presenting his rise in the face of the spread of “racial democracy” in the mid-20th century, and the problem that this theory brought to the Brazilian black community, as well as characteristics that continue to this day. Finally, we will address how structural racism builds social relations in Brazil, and how this is strongly expressed in the context of football.