Playing toy football

 

Football, with its modern rules, was officially created in 19th-century England, but the act of kicking a ball for fun has been recorded by historians as a practice dating back more than 6,000 years, found in various cultures around the world. The ball is thus humanity's first toy.

These many ways of playing have migrated from open spaces such as the terrão—informal football pitches improvised next to garage doors—into houses and apartments, in the form of tables and game boards, devices and screens. Countless are the toys that have made their way into the hearts of Brazilian children for offering the chance to bring the greatest stars close to them, to change the history of entire championships, to imagine themselves on the pitch performing extraordinary moves. Playing football opens endless possibilities for recreating, using creativity, and imagining possible futures.

Since its opening, the Football Museum has been committed to preserving, researching, and communicating the historical and cultural expressions of football in Brazil, alongside its core values which are emotion and affection. Today, the museum is undergoing the process of redesigning its permanent exhibition. In 2024, it will offer new experiences, content and, of course, more entertainment for all visitors.

In this sense, nothing could be more rewarding than materializing our core values in the exhibition Toy Football.

This show has been collaboratively put together through a highly enjoyable process of researching and digging through collectors' archives and our own storage drawers: many of the objects on display here are childhood memorabilia from members of our staff. 

Thus, Toy Football is a celebration of sport with all its potential for creating memories, affections, and connections between past, present, and future.

Football Museum