Over the last few days, after watching the shameful loss in Argentina and reading extensively about the game, Facebook’s algorithm has been suggesting all sorts of videos related to Brazil. Many of these are from Brazil itself, and I’m able to understand a lot of the content through Facebook’s auto-captions and other translation tools.
One thing that shocked me while watching these videos—and even more so the commentary—is how much club partisanship exists within Brazilian football. For example, I keep coming across a guy who appears to be a Flamengo fan, praising Wesley’s performance. But if you read the comments, you’ll see fans from other teams arguing that he played poorly and that the stage was too big for him.
I also came across Palmeiras and Santos fans, either praising the performances of former players who once played for their clubs or expressing frustration that one of their own wasn’t selected or given playing time.
I’ve commented before on how everything in football today is viewed through the lens of whether you support Real Madrid/CR7 or Barcelona/Messi. It seems like Brazil has a similar issue, even if we don’t hear about it much in the media. In fact, it may be even worse, given Brazil’s large population and each club’s massive following in its respective region, state, and city.
Having seen all of this, it now makes sense—and is no longer surprising—when I see certain Brazilian clubs refusing to lend out their young players for various youth tournaments. I’ve heard this said before, but it truly seems to be the case that many people in Brazil care more about their favorite clubs than the national team. And this isn’t just a recent phenomenon due to the NT’s struggles—it has almost always been this way.
In other words, proportionally speaking, when compared to Argentina, Brazil may not have the same level of passionate national team support. In fact, if you look at the stands during home games, the crowds seem a bit too quiet to me—it feels more like a concert than a true home game for the national team.
One thing that shocked me while watching these videos—and even more so the commentary—is how much club partisanship exists within Brazilian football. For example, I keep coming across a guy who appears to be a Flamengo fan, praising Wesley’s performance. But if you read the comments, you’ll see fans from other teams arguing that he played poorly and that the stage was too big for him.
I also came across Palmeiras and Santos fans, either praising the performances of former players who once played for their clubs or expressing frustration that one of their own wasn’t selected or given playing time.
I’ve commented before on how everything in football today is viewed through the lens of whether you support Real Madrid/CR7 or Barcelona/Messi. It seems like Brazil has a similar issue, even if we don’t hear about it much in the media. In fact, it may be even worse, given Brazil’s large population and each club’s massive following in its respective region, state, and city.
Having seen all of this, it now makes sense—and is no longer surprising—when I see certain Brazilian clubs refusing to lend out their young players for various youth tournaments. I’ve heard this said before, but it truly seems to be the case that many people in Brazil care more about their favorite clubs than the national team. And this isn’t just a recent phenomenon due to the NT’s struggles—it has almost always been this way.
In other words, proportionally speaking, when compared to Argentina, Brazil may not have the same level of passionate national team support. In fact, if you look at the stands during home games, the crowds seem a bit too quiet to me—it feels more like a concert than a true home game for the national team.
