At the time of us writing this, the 2014 World Cup is 78 days, 8 hours and 52 minutes away. At the time of you reading this, it will be even closer. You lucky, future-dwelling people. You’re always one step ahead.
Anyway, if anticipation for the event is high for us Brits, it can’t possibly be matched by the host Brazilians who, as you can see from the spectacular images here, don’t just restrict their football playing to properly regulated tournaments, or even local pitches and playgrounds. Instead, they play on virtually every surface they tread upon, be it favela pavement, skyscraper roof or, most jaw-droppingly, floating oil rig.
We may have invented the rules, but for Brazilians, football (or futebol, we should say) is a national obsession. And it’s this obsession that Argentinian-born, London-based photographer Christopher Pillitz has captured perfectly in his forthcoming book Brazil: The Beautiful Game, from which these images are taken.
The book represents two decades of Pillitz’s snapping in Brazil, and he’s captured every aspect of the game; Flamengo fans sporting sprawling tattoos, a priest knocking passes about in a church and graffiti murals of the legendary Pelé. Well worth a spot on your coffee table, this one.
Oh, and it’s now 78 days, 8 hours and 11 minutes away. Not that we’re counting.
Brazil: The Beautiful Game by Christopher Pillitz is released 7 April by Prestel (£24.99)
(Images: Christopher Pillitz)
