Brazil's National Football Team to Feature Number 24 in 2026 World Cup

• For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Brazil’s national football team will officially include a player wearing the number 24.
• The number has historically been avoided in Brazilian football due to its association with the "jogo do bicho" (animal game), where 24 corresponds to "veado" (deer), a term used as a homophobic slur.
• Activists, including the group Arco-Íris, have long challenged the omission of the number as a form of institutionalized homophobia.

Historical Context and Controversy

• The "jogo do bicho" is a long-outlawed lottery game in Brazil with ties to criminal organizations.
• The association between the number 24 and the derogatory term for gay people led teams to skip the number on official rosters for decades.
• In 2021, the Arco-Íris group sued the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) over the omission, though the case was archived due to regulatory constraints.
• The first time a Brazilian player officially wore the number 24 in a major tournament was in 2022, when defender Gleison Bremer wore it at the Qatar World Cup.

Current Representation

• For the 2026 World Cup, the number 24 jersey will be worn by 27-year-old defender Roger Ibañez.
• Despite progress at the national team level, the avoidance of the number persists in youth competitions, as shown by reports from the Observatory of LGBTphobia in Football.
• Journalist Onã Rudá argues that while wearing the number doesn't eliminate homophobia, its systematic absence is a clear act of identity denial.

Legacy of LGBTQ+ Advocacy in Football

• The "Coligay," a pioneering LGBTQ+ fan group founded in 1977 for the Grêmio club, serves as a historical benchmark for queer inclusion in Brazilian sports during the military dictatorship.
• While many clubs now have LGBTQ+ collectives, institutional barriers remain, and some major clubs still lack organized queer support groups.
• Advocates emphasize that football carries significant social responsibility and remains a critical arena for challenging discrimination.