Soccer is one of Brazilians' great passions and plays a leading role in the national culture. Whether it's the World Cup, with the streets painted green and yellow, or domestic club matches, the sport's influence on the country's daily life is undeniable. One proof of that is that the three most-followed Brazilians on Instagram are soccer players: Neymar Jr, Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Marcelo Vieira.
Given that importance, the sport even has a day to call its own: July 19 is National Soccer Day in Brazil, a date chosen to honor the country's oldest club still in operation, Sport Club Rio Grande, from Rio Grande do Sul, founded on July 19, 1900.
Download the Calendar of Key Dates for Restaurants
Don't miss a single opportunity to profit!
Beyond its sociocultural influence, the sport also moves the country's economy. Among the sectors that benefit, bars and restaurants stand out. Broadcasting soccer matches at these venues ends up becoming an invitation to the public, who take the chance to get together with family and friends, eat and drink well, all while watching the game — and that's when there's no other post-match programming, such as live music.
Uma survey by Abrasel conducted in 2022, at the time of the Qatar World Cup, illustrates how soccer impacts the sector: business owners expected revenue to rise around 30% during the Brazilian national team's run in the tournament. Even though the matches took place at unusual hours, Brazilians planned ahead to go cheer from a bar table.
Love for the club and for the business that shows the match
For Diego Lobo, owner of Farani 1903, a Grêmio fan stronghold in Rio de Janeiro, the big advantage of having a bar tied to a club's game broadcasts is customer loyalty. “Faça chuva ou sol, eles estão aqui para assistir aos jogos do Grêmio. Já aumentamos o número de colaboradores, enfeitamos o local com bandeiras e o resultado é que em dias de jogos, temos o dobro do faturamento de um dia normal”, revela Diego.
Mercadinho Bicalho, in Belo Horizonte, is considered the meeting point for Botafogo fans in the capital of Minas Gerais. Because it sits near Arena Independência (América Mineiro's stadium), the bar becomes the fans' home whenever the Rio club plays in the city.
“The first gathering was for a match at Independência in 2018. The fans came for the meatballs I make here, but they stayed for the friendship we built. Even though I'm a Cruzeiro supporter, I put up Botafogo flags in our space”, says Nivaldo Bicalho, the venue's owner.
“Whenever they're around, Botafogo fans find a way to come to the bar. Our Mercadinho has become known for hosting them in Belo Horizonte. Now, when Botafogo plays in the city, our revenue doubles”, Nivaldo adds.
The passion for soccer isn't confined to stadiums; it extends to bars and restaurants, a sector present in all 5,570 Brazilian municipalities, to the point that some venues become part of fan culture during matches.
