In less than three weeks, Brazil will head to the World Cup in Qatar as one of the favorites to win the title. Not only do they top the rankings, but they've lost just two competitive games in the past six years and they boast an established blend of veterans and youngsters, led by a coach, Tite, who is a national hero.
The nation of Brazil will go to the polls on Sunday to choose a new president. This has been an acrimonious contest that has divided the nation.
There are major events in Brazilian life. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has more than 180 million followers on the social media platform, and he has supported the incumbent president by appearing on a livestream on the president's YouTube channel. None of the other members of Brazil's Selecao have done it as publicly as he has. The current president had agreed to pardon some of his income tax debt in exchange for his endorsement, according to the challenger.
One of the two presidential candidates is accusing the country's biggest star of selling his political endorsement to his opponent on the eve of a World Cup. There is more to come.
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The coach of Brazil didn't mention the player by name, but he did complain about the "politicization" of the team. It was hard to miss the oblique reference to Bolsonaro supporters, many of whom show up at rallies in the famous green and gold jerseys. He made it clear that he wouldn't meet Bolsonaro even if he won the World Cup.
When Brazil won the first of their five World Cup, they didn't go to the capital to meet the president. It's similar to a Super Bowl winner declining an invitation to the White House, with the added benefit that a Super Bowl winner is one of 32 franchises, and Bolsonaro will be president even if he loses.
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There is tension between the two men. Tite gave the president only a cursory handshake when he handed out medals to the players and staff of Brazil's victorious team. He was critical of Bolsonaro after he insisted that Brazil host the competition again in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. Tite said he wouldn't celebrate a World Cup win with someone else.
He said that his view had not changed. The Brazilian national team is a part of our culture. It is such a beautiful thing. It's our voice in Brazil.
We've become accustomed to athletes taking a stand on social issues, but they're not the only ones who do. Michael Jordan once said that Republicans buy sneakers too. If you represent a team or a region, alienating part of that city/ region/country is not right. Brazil will go into their biggest quadrennial sporting event still bearing the scars of their acrimonious presidential race There is a legitimate fear that they will extend to a national team that has been successful, but also a beacon of unity and patriotism.
Tite has done a masterful job with Brazil, ensuring egos are checked at the entrance of the dressing room and that the Selecao is a genuine unit playing with the spirit of a club team. It's easier to maintain unity when you're successful, but even during Brazil's rare setbacks, such as being knocked out of the World Cup at the quarterfinals, they were able to avoid the recrimination, division and finger- pointing.
Is politics broken the bonds that made Brazil such a powerhouse? What will most likely be the last World Cup for both Neymar and Tite will be ruined by the fact that they have differing opinions on Bolsonaro.
Two-hundred and fourteen million Brazilians are hoping that it won't, praying that the differences will be stowed to one side in the Middle East. The nation's quest for a sixth World Cup cannot be jeopardized by politics.
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