Brazil is widely known as one of the most famous countries when it comes to football (or soccer, as Americans would call it). It is not by chance that Brazil is known as the “country of football." Some of the best football players in the world are Brazilians.
Football is not just a sport in Brazil. In fact, Brazilian football is a national pastime and a game so important that it is considered heritage.
Do Sports Run in Your Family?
How Football Arrived in Brazil
There are several stories of how football arrived in Brazil.
Sailors
According to one version of the story, it was brought by British and Dutch sailors who played football on the beaches of the north coast in the late 19th century.
Thomas Donohoe
Another version of football's origin story claims that football was introduced to Brazil by a man named Thomas Donohoe, a Scottish expatriate. Donohoe held the first game in April 1894 outside of his workplace.
Charles Miller
In another version of the story, football was brought to Brazil by a football manager named Charles Miller. Miller was born in Brazil in 1874 in São Paulo and educated in England. When he returned to Brazil in 1894, he brought 2 soccer balls and a rule book. Miller learned to play football at an English club and was an experienced player.
The first match was played in São Paulo. It was an immediate success and became known as an "elite sport" when it launched. The game was restricted to private clubs and mainly European players. Over time, the sport spread across the country to suburban areas and became popular among all Brazilians.
Playing football is a great way to spend quality time and become closer with your family. Football can be part of your heritage and connect you with your ancestors.
Learn More about Brazil Culture
At FamilySearch, we care about connecting you with your family, and we provide fun discovery experiences and family history services for free. Why? Because we cherish families and believe that connecting generations can improve our lives now and forever. We are a nonprofit organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more about our beliefs, click here.
