Even though Thanksgiving is not a nationally celebrated holiday in Brazil, the day is being observed as such this year. On Thursday, schools, banks, and government offices all shut down at an earlier-than-usual hour, and almost everyone had the day off, unless their job was selling beer or cooking food. It was time for the national team to go back to work.
On Thursday afternoon, spectators poured out of bars and into the streets in the whole area of Copacabana, which is located along Rio’s beachfront. The classic yellow jerseys of the national team were worn by the majority of fans, although this year there was a significant increase in the number of blue jerseys. The reason for this is because the yellow jerseys have evolved into a kind of uniform for followers of Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right president of Brazil, and many people on the left have began wearing the team’s alternate blue shirt as a protest.
The jersey is not the only item that has been given a political significance. Neymar, one of Brazil’s most famous athletes, was a strong supporter of Bolsonaro in the run-up to the election that took place a month ago, which Bolsonaro ultimately lost. Even though making political remarks at the World Cup is prohibited, Neymar has said that he intends to honour Bolsonaro after scoring his first goal in the competition.
“That’s not right. Fabrcio Neves, 42, an offshore oil worker, was standing outside of a club while wearing a blue Romaro shirt from Brazil’s championship squad in 1994. He added that the team does not belong to any political party.
