Some World Cup fans are blaming Brazil’s loss on evangelicals

(RNS) — Brazil’s loss to Norway on July 5 eliminated the team that has won more FIFA World Cups than any other nation — five — and is the only one to have played in every edition of the tournament. But they haven’t tasted victory in more than 20 years.

The glorious days of Pelé earned him the admiration of fans far beyond Brazil. He led the team to FIFA World Cup victory three times between 1958 and 1970 and helped give the national team — the Seleção — a passionate global following that reached well past Latin America.

The players Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo, who lifted the trophy in 2002, charmed fans of the world’s most popular sport with their dribbling and “jogo bonito” (beautiful game).

The newer generations of the national team have spent years being measured against those memories. But after this early exit in the round of 16, fans and commentators online have circulated a theory. The team’s change in playing style, they argue, mirrors the religious transformation that’s been under way in Brazil for decades: The more evangelical the country has become, the worse their national team has performed.

Or, as one widely shared post put it, Brazil is suffering a…