The best soccer players in Brazil lean towards Bolsonaro in a polarized race

A few days before the first round of the general elections this month in Brazila 13-second TikTok video electrified supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro: soccer star Neymar spoke out in favor of his re-election bid.

The video, published on September 29, showed Neymar dancing a campaign jingle that highlighted Bolsonaro’s position on the ticket, and the president was quick to share it on social media.

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Although the Paris Saint Germain striker remained silent at his post, aside from lip-syncing to the song, the movement threw down the gauntlet for other soccer players to show their support for the far-right leader, like internationals Thiago Silva and Daniel Alves.

Without mentioning Bolsonaro by name, they shared posts with some of his catchphrases, including popular slogans among evangelical Christians in Brazil, who largely support him. In a country where evangelical churches have made great inroads into the poorest communities, eroding the Catholic majority, many soccer players flaunt their evangelical faith.

“There is a slogan that I love,” Alves said, using a typical Bolsonaro phrase: “Brazil above all, God above all.”

Bolsonaro lost the first round against his leftist opponent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by a tighter margin than expected, setting a second vote for October 30.

– @Neymar Jr ????????????????! pic.twitter.com/nu2RWJHC5M

— Jair M. Bolsonaro 2️⃣2️⃣ (@jairbolsonaro) October 23, 2022

The avalanche on social media reinforced mounting anecdotal evidence that many of Brazil’s most prominent soccer players now lean to the right.

many players favor conservative politicians because of their own life historiessaid sports commentator Juca Kfouri, noting that most soccer stars in Brazil come from poor neighborhoods and rise to stardom through their own talent.

“So they tend to be self-centered and repeat that authoritative talk about meritocracy.”, said Kfouri, who has supported Lula.

Anthropologist Roberto DaMatta also highlighted that football is an important way of progress in Brazil, but added that without further investigation it will be difficult to reach a firm conclusion about the political preferences of the players in general. “It would be pretty speculative,” he said.

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A post shared by NJ ???????? (@neymarjr)

We are on the same side

The video of Neymar has been seen almost 60 million times on Bolsonaro’s Instagram account alone. While sharing it, the president related his possible victory to the record of six World Cups that Brazil will pursue this year in Qatar.

Before Neymar, players such as Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Moura and Fluminense’s Felipe Melo had joined Bolsonaro, but the support of the number 10 of the national team provoked an even wider reaction. He was joined by retired players such as Rivaldo, world champion in 2002, and the former Inter Milan goalkeeper Julius Caesar.

“Neymar, we are on the same side againCaesar said.

Lula has also amassed a handful of soccer endorsements, but fewer current stars.

Many of his most prominent supporters in this sport are former players linked to the Brazilian campaign in the 1980s to end the military dictatorship, such as the former Brazilian international Walter Casagrande Jr.

Neymar and Jair Bolsonaro. (Video Capture/)

As a union leader at the time, Lula was a stone in the shoe of the generals who ruled the country for two decades, a military regime that Bolsonaro defends.

“I’m not a radical leftist, I’m just pro-democracy,” Casagrande told Reuters. “We are living in chaos. The Bolsonaro government is destroying the country”.

Former Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburg, Lyon icon Juninho Pernambucano and 1994 world champion Rai also support Lula. Rai’s older brother, the late star Socrates, marched against the military regime and started a pro-democracy movement with Casagrande at the Corinthians club in the 1980s.

Presenting the award named after Socrates at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, Rai made an “L” hand sign while citing the Brazilian elections, a well-known sign of support for Lula.

Among the current players, Bayer Leverkusen striker Paulinho and Vizela right-back Igor Juliao were among the few to openly support the leader of the Workers’ Party, which ruled from 2003-2010.

The hug of the soccer players to Bolsonaro has coincided with a growing tradition among conservative Brazilians of donning the national team’s famous yellow jersey at street demonstrationsas Bolsonaro himself has occasionally done.

Will the political position of the players affect the support of the Brazilians in the World Cup?

“I don’t think so,” Kfouri said. “When the games start, people forget everything.”

Source: Elcomercio