Inside Brazil’s World Cup Carnival

June 28th, 2006 | by: WC Bob | View Comments

I’m standing in the middle of about 75 Brazil football fans and all of them are moving their hips in a way that seems anatomically impossible to my body. Try as I might, the samba beat is not inside me so I resort to my rhythmically-challenged dance moves that I have been using to poor degree since I was old enough to take an interest in women. Think Pete Crouch doing the robot, but even more awkward and even more painful to watch.

Fortunately no one is paying the least bit of attention to me. Even if you didn’t notice that I am wearing a knockoff Brazil jersey from Indonesia that incorrectly has Adriano listed as Number 9 on the back, it would be clear that I am not one of them. The rhythm, the words, the sex appeal, it belongs to them and not to me. I’m a stranger in a strange land watching other strangers take over that strange land.

But none of this matters when you are following Brazil at the World Cup. There is no shortage of people wearing yellow, blue and green who are from the country they support, but there is an equal, if not more, from other countries. Asian faces blend in with white faces which blend in with all shades of brown and black. No one is thinking this, but it is a sea of multiculturalism and it is working. It is humanity functioning the way it should.

These are fans who have adopted Brazil as their team. These are people who simply know where to go to party. This is a Grateful Dead concert without the patchouli .

And party they do. A light rain is falling down and the early Dortmund afternoon air is chilly. No one is paying attention to this fact. The beat goes on and the dancing keeps everyone at a comfortable room temperature even though we are standing, no swaying, outside.

I abandon the dance party and walk among the throng of fans milling around three hours before kickoff. There are a smattering of people wearing Ghana colors and they are swarmed by Brazilians who seem determined to kill them with kindness. The vibe is nothing but positive. The drunks are friendly. The security guards are bored and entertaining themselves by having their pictures taken next to scantily clad Brazil fans. The only ones not feeling good are those looking for tickets. The scalpers are asking upwards of 350 Euros for tickets.

A ticket is something that I don’t have. As the game approaches I watch as the samba party moves from the pre-game staging ground towards the stadium. I also watch as there are an equal number of people staying outside the game as there are entering the stadium. I’m not the only one without a ticket. There are plenty who are here today just to take in the Brazil World Cup experience.

There are plenty who are here today that can’t get their hips to move that way either.