Garrincha’s Dog

There were lots of folk making a nuisance of themselves at Stansted this morning. Of course, bad behaviour at airports is nothing new.

This classic Nike campaign was screened during the ‘98 World Cup. The advert features Brazil’s national team and Eric Cantona in his traditional cameo role.

Ten years on, with the ever-present international terrorist threat, attempting a kick-about in the departure lounge is likely to get you shot in the head by a policeman with machine gun - something that’s already a problem for Brazilians in the UK.

My favourite big-budget football ad is still the pitched battle between Portugal and Brazil: Olé! Another cracker is The Cage - directed by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam.

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A 2002 World Cup masterpiece from Nike. Eric Cantona presides over a secret football tournament in the belly of a ship. Elvis Presley provides the soundtrack from beyond the grave with a remix of A Little Less Conversation. And with 24 of the world’s top players starring and Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam as director, it was always going to be great. This advert could well be Nike’s finest ever attempt to make us part with our cash. It’s definitely the pinnacle of Eric’s post-retirement career.

For the classic ad featuring a pitched battle between Brazil and Portugal, click here. Olé!

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