Joga Bonito/Futebol Arte

The exact origins of the term Joga Bonito (Futebol Arte) are disputed. It has been attributed to Brazilian footballer Didi, while the football commentator Stuart Hall claimed to have originated it in 1958. The English author H. E. Bates used the term earlier, including in a 1952 newspaper piece extolling the virtues of the game. Throughout the last decades, both terms have been used on several occasions, particularly to describe the style of Brazil’s national team with Zico and Socrates.