The Beautiful Game - Alex Bellos

Brazil is known for soccer players (which is henceforth to be known as "football") in the same way that Tibet is known for its Buddhist monks or France is known for its pastry chefs. But those Brazilian phenoms are products of a cultural tapestry that has been evolving the sport from its staid British roots for nearly a century. Alex Bellos, author of Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life, explains some of Brazil's football foibles, such as having nicknames like "Hulk" and "Fred" on the backs of their national team jerseys, to the protests surrounding this year's World Cup and Neymar's national icon status for his cheeky, acrobatic and improvisational way of playing football.