Darcy Ribeiro: “national” soccer and other trinkets

Abstract

This article discusses the status of Brazilian soccer today from the perspective of Darcy Ribeiro's idea of nationalism. Defended fanatically by the far-right political movement, the idea of nationalism comes up against a contradiction that reveals its foundations as an economically and culturally dependent country, which largely explains the strong tendency of far-right supporters to hand over national wealth and maintain a naive awareness of love for their homeland. This tendency can also be seen in Brazilian soccer, a mass phenomenon that has recently been taken over by the extreme right-wing nationalist discourse of players, coaches and managers. Darcy Ribeiro's thoughts on left-wing nationalism and his ever-present social critique help us to analyze soccer in a political light, insofar as the logic of financial capital crosses the field of play and determines the naive consciousness of Brazilian players around the world.