This Friday (19), Brazil celebrates National Football Day, a date that honors the most popular sport in the world.

The choice of this day, July 19, is directly related to the foundation of the first football club in the country, Sport Club Rio Grande, in 1900, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The trajectory of football in Brazil began to take shape at the end of the nineteenth century, when Charles Miller, a Brazilian son of English parents, brought from England two footballs and a copy of the of the rules of the game. Miller introduced the sport to São Paulo, where he became an enthusiast and great promoter of soccer.

Inspired by the growing popularity of the sport in other countries, a group of young people founded Sport Club Rio Grande. This pioneering act marked the beginning of the institutionalization of football in Brazil, which quickly spread throughout the national territory.

In 1976, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) made National Football Day official, recognizing the historical importance of Sport Club Rio Grande and celebrating the national passion for the sport. Since then, the date has been celebrated with events, games and tributes to players and clubs that have contributed to the development of Brazilian football.

In Futebol Arte e Ofício, of my humble authorship there is a Chapter on the History of Football in the World and in Brazil, the product of all the information collected in my life so far.

P.S. – One thing is for sure: the world would be very boring if there was no football and art!

P.S. 2 – It’s not just Football: it’s much more!

P.S. 3 – God bless my Mana Ju who will undergo surgery today, Praying! It’s already worked! God in Charge!

P.S. 4 – I heard that Ponte Preta, A Macaca, from Campinas, São Paulo was the First Football Club

By Jucele

Julio Leal

Football Coach Champion of The World Unde 20 in Australia, 1993