The Beautiful Game

"The Beautiful Game" (Portuguese: o jogo bonito) is a nickname for association football. It was popularised by Brazilian footballer Pelé, who played from 1957-1971. It was a term widely used in Brazil. Though some think the exact origin of the phrase is disputed. Stuart Hall, an English football commentator, used it in 1958. Hall admired Peter Doherty when he went to see Manchester City play at Maine Road and used the term "The Beautiful Game" to describe Doherty's style of play.^[1] During his career, the Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho was an exponent of the "Jogo Bonito" ("Beautiful game") style of play.^{[citation needed]} Although made famous around the world, the phrase jogo bonito in Brazil has been replaced with futebol-arte ("Art Football") which means the same.

^ Harper, Nick (2 May 2003). "Stuart Hall". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2011. The player I fell in love with and who inspired me to coin the phrase "the beautiful game" was Peter Doherty, an inside forward, my first hero.

[1] Harper, Nick (2 May 2003). "Stuart Hall". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2011. The player I fell in love with and who inspired me to coin the phrase "the beautiful game" was Peter Doherty, an inside forward, my first hero.

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