1938 World Cup: Leônidas, football's first Black star

In the 1938 World Cup, Brazil's national team, known as the Seleção, was still navigating its identity. The team played in white uniforms, a stark contrast to the sport's introduction to Brazil by the English. For decades, football in Brazil had resisted embracing its African heritage and tropical character.

Some clubs, like Fluminense, maintained bans on Black players. In an effort to participate, mixed-race players sometimes resorted to using rice powder to lighten their skin, a practice the national team briefly, and unsuccessfully, attempted in 1921. These players, often less robust and well-nourished, developed a distinctive style of play characterized by dribbling and feints to evade physical duels.

This historical context is part of a series by Le Temps that revisits each of the 22 previous World Cup editions. The series aims to narrate the evolution of football by delving into anecdotes from each tournament, offering readers a day-by-day account.