Football is a sport that moves the masses. And, although many people think that this is an exclusively Brazilian phenomenon, it is a type of manifestation with global dimensions. The uncontrollable passion for the team of the heart makes football often equated with religion. And that is the theme of this text: stimulating reasoning and clarifying the concept of religion, so that it can be concluded whether football is a type of sport or a religious phenomenon.
The concept of religion most commonly used by sociology was formulated by Max Weber: it is a collective manifestation whose worship is linked to an institution, known as the church. Obviously this is a very didactic simplification of its definition. In this sense, it is obvious that the comparison between sport and religion is clearly false.
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However, there is another analysis bias that proves to be relevant: that of religiosity. Religiosity is not an institutionalized process, on the contrary: it is a personal manifestation of emotional origin. Looking at the passion with which people are linked to their football team, they argue for it and even fight for him, maybe there we find a possible connection that describes the man's feeling for his team of soccer.
By Paula Rondinelli
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Physical Education from the São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP
Master in Motricity Sciences from the São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – UNESP
Doctoral Student in Integration of Latin America at the University of São Paulo - USP
PE - Soccer - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
RONDINELLI, Paula. "Football: Sport or Religion?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/educacao-fisica/futebol-esporte-ou-religiao.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
