The beautiful game (Portuguese:o jogo bonito,pronounced[uˈʒoɡuboˈnitu]) is a nickname forassociation football. It was popularised by Brazilian footballerPelé, who played from 1957 to 1977. It was a term widely used in Brazil, though the exact origin of the phrase is disputed.Stuart Hall, an English football commentator, used it in 1958. Hall admiredPeter Doherty when he went to seeManchester City play atMaine Road and used the termthe beautiful game to describe football as a whole.[1] During his career, the Brazilian footballerRonaldinho was an exponent of thejogo bonito ('nice game' or 'cute game') style of play.[2] Although made famous around the world, the phrasejogo bonito in Brazil has been replaced withfutebol-arte ("Art Football") which means the same.
The exact origins of the term are disputed. The origin has been attributed to Brazilian footballerWaldyr "Didi" Pereira,[3] and the presenterStuart Hall claimed to have originated it in 1958.[3][4] The English author and football fanaticH. E. Bates used the term earlier, including in a 1952 newspaper piece extolling the virtues of the game entitled "Brains in the Feet".[5] Earlier writers used the term in 1848 to describe the game ofbaaga'adowe, a forerunner oflacrosse as played byOjibwe atVauxhall Gardens inLondon,[6] and totennis in 1890.[7]
Brazilian footballerPelé is credited with making the phrase synonymous with football.[8][9] In 1977, he named his autobiographyMy Life and the Beautiful Game. The book's dedication reads: "I dedicate this book to all the people who have made this great game the Beautiful Game."[10] The phrase has entered the lexicon as both a description for football and a tribute to the sport.[8]
"The Beautiful Game" is the title of a 1996 album. Featuring football anthems such as "Three Lions", music writerJohn Harris states that the album captures how the build-up to UEFA Euro 1996 "caught the imagination of the UK's musicians."[11] It is also referenced in the title ofAndrew Lloyd Webber's 2000 musicalThe Beautiful Game. It is used as a title for the 13-part 2002 series charting the history of the game:History of Football: The Beautiful Game, narrated by the actorTerence Stamp.[12]
The song "Wavin' Flag"—rapperK'naan'sCoca-Cola promotional anthem for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa—contained the lyric "let's rejoice in the Beautiful Game".[13] In January 2014,New Model Army released a song called "The Beautiful Game" in support of the project Spirit of Football.[14] A footballpodcast was released with the titleThe Beautiful Game.[15]
Sportswear companyNike has referenced the beautiful game in its football commercials. In 1996, a Nike commercial titled "Good vs Evil" was a gladiatorial game set in aRoman amphitheatre where ten football players from around the world, includingEric Cantona,Ronaldo,Paolo Maldini,Luís Figo,Patrick Kluivert,Ian Wright, andJorge Campos, defend "the beautiful game" against a team of demonic warriors, which culminates in Cantona receiving the ball from Ronaldo, pulling up his shirt collar, and delivering the final line, "Au revoir", before striking the ball and destroying evil.[16]
Nike uses thePortuguese phrasejoga bonito—meaning "play beautifully" and not "beautiful game", which would bejogo bonito—as one of its slogans for football products.[17][18] Nike began using the sloganjoga bonito in a campaign preceding the2006 FIFA World Cup in an attempt to curb players' behaviours on the pitch. In collaboration with and promoted by former international footballerEric Cantona, Nike released a series of adverts to promote a game that is skillful and dignified, not riddled with theatrics and poor sportsmanship.[19] Sportswear companyAdidas also named an officialmatch ball ofUEFA Euro 2016Adidas Beau Jeu, which translates to "The Beautiful Game" in English.[20]
The player I fell in love with and who inspired me to coin the phrase 'the beautiful game' was Peter Doherty, an inside forward, my first hero.
| Football career |  | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eponym | |||||||||
| Media |
| ||||||||
| Related people |
| ||||||||
| Related topics | |||||||||
| Chronology |
| .svg) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rules |
| ||||||
| Equipment | |||||||
| Variants of the game | |||||||
| Positions | |||||||
| Strategy | |||||||
| Skills | |||||||
| Terminology | |||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||
| Organised supporters | |||||||
| Comparisons | |||||||
| Main associations | |||||||
| Olympic | |||||||
| Lists |
| ||||||
| Related topics | |||||||
