Football as a religion
Soccer is Brazil's number-one ambassador. It's a veritable religion for an entire people. Every Brazilian wants to be Pelé, Romário or Neymar. You can't come to Rio without seeing a match at the Maracanã, or in the parks, on the beach, in the street, at lunchtime. On Sundays, it's mandatory soccer for everyone. There's always a local team playing. And it's the same in every city in the country!
The Seleção. The great national pride remains, of course, the national team, the Seleção. Brazil is the only country in the world to have participated in every World Cup finals. The Auriverde team has reached the final seven times and won the world's most coveted trophy five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), making it by far the most awarded nation. On the continent, Brazil has won the Copa America nine times.
Great Brazilian players. The first three World Cup triumphs were achieved with the great Pele in the Seleção ranks. Well supported by his genius sidekick Garrincha in 1958 and 1962, and by the redoubtable Jairzinho in 1970, Edson Arantès do Nascimento, known as Pelé, is often considered the best player in the history of the game. A legend and an untouchable myth in his homeland. After a long period of inactivity, the Seleção returned to the top in 1994. The generation led by Bebeto and Romário won the World Cup in the USA, beating Italy on penalties in the final. After losing out to Les Bleus in 1998, Brazil lifted the trophy again in 2002. A competition marked by Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo. Recent years have been marked by the trauma of 2014 and the crushing semi-final defeat to Germany (7-1) at the home World Cup, just days after the serious injury to star player Neymar Jr. It was a shock reminiscent of the 1950 final defeat to Uruguay, already at home, which plunged the 199,854 Maracanã spectators and the entire Brazilian nation into a state of deep anger. Fortunately, Neymar saved the day by winning Olympic gold in Rio two years later in 2016. Waiting for a 6th World Cup success.
Brazil's big clubs. Although Pelé hails from the state of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro remains an important city in the history and current fortunes of Brazilian soccer. And the epicentre of Auriverde soccer is the famous Maracanã stadium (now seating around 78,000). Two of the city's four major clubs, Famengo and Fluminense, play on this mythical pitch. Fluminense is the traditional, upmarket club, originally supported by Carioca society. Flamengo is the most popular club in Rio and Brazil, and is a source of passion even outside the city. It is the club of the great Zico and is estimated to have around 35 million fans. The Fla-Flu derby remains the most eagerly awaited match of the season. The other two main clubs are Botáfogo (located in the eponymous district) and Vasco de Gama.
In addition to the big Rio clubs, Santos FC, the club of Pelé, Dunga and Neymar Jr, are also represented, as are São Paulo-based Corinthians, São Paulo FC and Palmeiras, Porto Alegre-based Grêmio and Internacional, and Belo Horizonte clubs Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro.
The land of volleyball
It is said that volleyball is the number one sport in Brazil... Football being a religion! This sport, which can be practiced without a large infrastructure, regularly consecrates Brazil as the best team in the world, for both men and women. Brazilian players play in all the major European leagues. The admission of beach volleyball as an Olympic sport has, of course, given this highly Brazilian sport an extra boost. It is played at all ages, on all the country's beaches. The footballers' version(futevolei) is particularly spectacular. The Rio Olympics saw the Brazilian men's teams shine, winning gold in both volleyball and beach volleyball.
Capoeira, much more than a sport
Capoeira is one of the most fascinating aspects of Brazilian culture. Capoeiristas are athletes, dancers, acrobats, pranksters, comedians and musicians. Forbidden to practice martial arts (which could make them more formidable if they rebelled against their masters), slaves disguised their struggles as spectacular gymnastic movements, creating a unique ritual that was in fact a genuine preparation for combat. Thus was born capoeira, a dance as much as an art of combat, and the result of the forced encounter of different African cultures on Brazilian soil during the 300 years of slavery. The accompanying music is played soberly on drums, tambourines and the emblematic capoeira instrument, the berimbau - a wooden bow strung with wire and adorned with a calabash as a sounding board. There are two main types of capoeira: capoeira Angola and capoeira Regional.
Capoeira Angola is the "original". Performed to a slow rhythm, its choreography is similar to taos, the movements linked together in Asian martial arts. Capoeira Regional, created in the 1930s by Mestre Bimba, is a livelier style, with greater emphasis on acrobatic figures. Today, it's the most popular and widely practiced.
Long banned and repressed, even after the abolition of slavery, capoeira was not authorized by the government until 1937, when it was finally recognized for its cultural, educational and artistic value. The first official academies were founded in Salvador de Bahia. Today, capoeira is widely taught and practised in schools and on the streets, as well as in universities, theater workshops, circus schools and sports centers in Brazil and elsewhere in the world.
Big names in Formula 1
Popularized by Ayrton Senna (1960-1994), F1 has a strong following in Brazil, which even has its own World Championship stage on the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. Senna, a true myth in his country, scored 65 pole positions in his career, 41 victories and 3 world championship titles. His first victory was in 1985. He also holds the record of 6 victories in Monaco. On May1, 1994, he died in the middle of the Imola race at the height of his glory, which obviously contributed to the building of his legend. His complex personality and his rivalry with Alain Prost made him unpopular outside his country for a long time. But he undoubtedly left his mark on the history of Formula One with his extraordinary technique and sense of anticipation. Since Senna, Brazilians have been able to support Rubens Barrichello (runner-up in 2002 and 2004) and Felipe Massa (runner-up in 2008), but without the same enthusiasm.
Many activities on the coast
Surfing. Home of two-time world champion Gabriel Medina, Brazil is also renowned for its waves and its large number of surfers, longboarders and bodyboarders. Surfing enthusiasts will enjoy the beaches of southern Bahia, particularly Itacaré, a spot with a national and even international reputation. Surfing is also possible on the Pernambuco coast, but beware of Recife, where sharks are a constant threat! Further south, the spots are also numerous. In Rio, the waves are at their best all year round. Saquarema beach is the most famous, but swell can also be found on the beaches of Ipanema, Arpoador, Barra, Macumba, Prahinha and Grumari. Finally, Santa Catarina also boasts some very famous beaches: Joaquina, Praia do Cardoso, São Francisco do Sul, Ilha do Mel, Boiçucanga or da Silveira.
Kitesurfing. The wind blows hard in the Nordeste, particularly along the Ceará coast. And there are plenty of kitesurfers to take advantage of it! Jericoacoara is one of the legendary spots on this corner of the Atlantic coast.
Diving. Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco) and Abrolhos (Bahia) are two natural sites ideal for diving, thanks to the richness of the seabed and the quality of the water. For snorkelers, some Nordeste beaches offer the chance to swim close to fish and coral reefs. Porto de Galinhas (Pernambuco) and the northern coast of Alagoas are excellent options. In the town of Bonito (Mato Grosso), you can also dive.
Great hiking opportunities
On foot. In the Amazon or in the Pantanal swamps, visitors can pretend they're Indiana Jones (with a guide, please)! On the Bahia coast, the mata atlântica (Atlantic forest) makes trilhas (trails) just as much fun, with the added advantage of ending the walk on a beautiful beach. This is the case, for example, in Itacaré and on the island of Boipeba. In Rio, the Tijuca forest is also very popular. The canyons of the Chapada Diamantina are also fantastic playgrounds for hikers.
On horseback. The country offers vast possibilities for horseback riding off the beaten track, in the footsteps of the gauchos, discovering the canyons of the south of the country or along the paradisiacal beaches of the north-eastern coast.
Some sensations!
Climbing. From April to October, climbing enthusiasts can enjoy cool, dry weather. The most popular spots are in the state of Rio, and even in the city itself, where the Sugar Loaf offers some superb routes.
Paragliding - Hang-gliding. Flying over Rio de Janeiro in a paraglider or hang glider is a classic and an experience not to be missed. Extraordinary panoramas guaranteed!
