“You’re hugging strangers, beer flying everywhere, people crying, screaming, kissing—it’s pure emotion. It’s raw and honest and beautiful.”
There’s something about Botafogo that demands resilience. The kind of devotion that isn’t for the faint-hearted. “We call Botafogo ‘O Mais traditional,’ because it’s the most traditional,” says Luisa Portella, a passionate supporter and photographer. “It’s not for the weak.”
Being a Botafogo fan is about perseverance. The club’s history is filled with moments of triumph and heartbreak, but the connection between the team and its supporters is unshakable.
In 2024, when Botafogo faced Palmeiras in a pivotal match, fans unveiled a breathtaking mosaic in the Estádio Nilton Santos.
“The front was our logo—the star—and then you turned your papers, and it transformed into a phoenix,” Luisa recalls. “It signified us rising from the ashes.”
That image sums up Botafogo’s spirit. A team that falls, that suffers, that faces adversity head-on—and then rises, defiantly, against the odds.
“We’ve always been glorious,” Luisa says. “Destined for glory.”
The Stadium as a Second Home
For Luisa, the stadium isn’t just a place to watch football; it’s where she feels most at home. “I missed maybe two or three home games last year. I probably spent more time in Nilton Santos than in my own house,” she laughs.
As a photographer, her lens doesn’t focus on the players but on the fans. “I love capturing people in their rawest moments. It’s a place where you can just be yourself—whether that means screaming, crying, hugging strangers, or throwing your beer in the air when we score.”
The energy inside Nilton Santos is electric. It’s more than football; it’s about community, about belonging. “I have friends I only see in the stadium,” Luisa says. “It’s like a family. We share these intense emotions together, and it creates this insane bond.”
That atmosphere extends beyond the stadium walls. In Rio de Janeiro, match days start long before kick-off. “We have this tradition called ‘pré jogo,’” Luisa explains. “It’s like a pre-party before the game—meeting up, drinking, eating, singing. The build-up is part of the experience.”
Football and Art, Side by Side
Luisa’s photography is deeply intertwined with her love for Botafogo. “Football and art are so connected. The fan base is incredibly artistic. The way we organise mosaics, the way we celebrate—it’s all expression.”
It’s this artistic passion that makes Brazilian football culture so special. “Nothing compares to a match in Rio,” Luisa insists. “I wasn’t even born here—I grew up in São Paulo and lived abroad for a while—but the football culture in Rio is something else. People give their heart and soul to their teams.”
She describes the euphoria of a goal:
“You’re hugging strangers, beer flying everywhere, people crying, screaming, kissing—it’s pure emotion. It’s raw and honest and beautiful.”
A Memory to Last a Lifetime
One of Luisa’s most emotional moments as a Botafogo fan wasn’t inside a stadium but at the club’s home base, General Severiano. “I was photographing a final, completely absorbed in capturing the moment. Then my friend put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Luisa, you’ve documented everything. But don’t forget—you’re a fan first. You deserve to live this moment.”
As the final whistle approached, she lowered her camera. “I just let myself feel it. We won. I cried, I celebrated, I spent two nights just living in the moment. We fought so hard for that glory.”
A Football Culture Like No Other
Luisa is adamant: “Brazil has the best football culture in the world. There’s no debate.”
The intensity, the passion, the rituals—football in Brazil is more than a sport. It’s life. And for those who step into a stadium in Rio, the experience is unforgettable. “Even my friends who support other teams, even people from abroad—they all say the same thing. Once you witness a game here, you get it.”
And if you don’t? Well, Luisa has a challenge for you. “Come to Rio. Go to a few matches. Then get back to me.”
All images by Luisa Portella
Thank you to Luisa for all her time.
To see more of Luisa’s work, please visit her here on Instagram: artbylup.jpg
