The Beautiful Game

"The Beautiful Game" (Portuguese: o jogo bonito) is a nickname for association football. It was popularised by Brazilian footballer Pelé, though the exact origin of the phrase is disputed. Stuart Hall, an English football commentator, used it as far back as 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 "Joga Bonito" ("Play Beautifully") style of play.^{[citation needed]} Although made famous around the world, the phrase jogo bonito is not used in Brazil, whereas the term futebol-arte ("Art Football") 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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