Under the Relentless Sun — Football Case Study

973/FCS

Editorials
Members
Commissions
Research
Image Licensing
About

Dispatch: a series dedicated to immersive storytelling, where our photographers and writers journey to chosen places, combining evocative imagery with long-form editorials to uncover and share unique football cultures.

UNDER THE RELENTLESS SUN

São Paulo’s Lesser Known Teams Keep The Essence Of Brazilian Football Alive

Words and Photography by Gabriel Borelli
April 11, 2025

SÃO PAULO, Brazil —Brazilian football is often celebrated for its iconic players, legendary clubs, and global triumphs. Yet, beneath this illustrious surface lies a narrative less told.

Over the past two decades, the game in Brazil — especially within the top divisions — has undergone a significant transformation shaped by commercial interests, global broadcasting deals, and substantial investments.

The 2014 World Cup marked a pivotal moment in this evolution. Stadiums were modernized to meet international standards, leading to a surge in ticket prices and a created distance between the sport and the local communities that once defined its essence.

Football began to drift from its communal roots and became more exclusive and corporate: football became a spectacle rather than a shared cultural ritual. Entire segments of the population, including those who historically shaped Brazilian football, found themselves marginalized and replaced by a more elitist and commercialized experience.

In response to this shift, I've recently started a photographic journey into the quieter realms of Brazilian football where the game remains deeply embedded in the community. In pursuit of this, there is no place better to explore than São Paulo. Here, Brazil's most populous and football-rich state hosts over 100 professional teams across various tiers of the national league system. While the "big four" — Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo FC, and Santos — dominate the headlines of the state, numerous lesser-known clubs thrive each with their own unique narrative and deep-rooted connection to its locale.

In an era where modern football emphasizes polish and profit, these teams prioritize memory and identity. Their survival isn't due to substantial investments or modernization; instead, survival stems from the unwavering loyalty of those who consider them integral to their personal and communal narratives. They persist, striving to stay afloat in the lower divisions, honoring their people and their city with every match played.

Their stadiums may lack the sheen of modern arenas, but they offer something more valuable: a profound sense of belonging. Some of these clubs, for over a century, have endured and navigated political shifts, economic challenges, and the ever-changing landscape of Brazilian football. For this reason, they stand today as living monuments of memory, resistance, and local pride.

In these settings, under the relentless sun, 400 kilometers from the capital, football exists quietly and beautifully in its purest form. Not as a business venture, but as a vital breath of community life.—

INDEX NEXT