Like many extremist and authoritarian leaders before him, outgoing Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro seized on national symbols during his rise to power and tried to make them his own.
The national football shirt is a case in point. For years many Brazilians avoided wearing the famous yellow shirt because of its association with Bolsonaro and far-right politics.
But this might be starting to change because of Brazil’s matches in the World Cup, and who the current team represent. The players come from many different regions of the country, faiths and political positions. Central players like Neymar Jr, Richarlison and Vinicius Jr have widely different political perspectives. The first openly supports Bolsonaro, the other two are seen as liberal. Richarlison, whose acrobatic goal attracted global attention, is famous for his progressive political stance on and off the field. He made statements about the death of George Floyd, against the burning of Amazon rainforest and has advocated for vaccination against COVID-19. Vinicius Jr is also considered progressive and has been very vocal about anti-racism.
