“If I could replay my life, maybe if I scored my last goal with the Brazilian team, I’d like that.” – Pel é
Using that quote as a launching pad, telecom company Vivo has put together what is easily the best World Cup spot of this year. In cased you missed them, Adidas and Nike both went with celebrity-heavy, high-concept commercials but this spot goes right to the heart of what makes soccer futbol the world’s most beloved game.
The short film is titled “1,284,” directed by Luciano Moura and Nando Olival, and executive produced by Fernando Meirelles (“City Of God,” “The Constant Gardener”) and imagines Pel é returning to the pitch at 69 years old to get the final goal of his career for the national Brazilian team, playing against arch-rivals Argentina. Pel é actually finished his career with the New York Cosmos in the short lived North American Soccer League in the late 1970s (profiled in the excellent documentary “Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos”).
Starring Pel é himself, and remarkably shot, the film really captures the magnetic presence of the legendary player, ultimately turning into a moving, touching tribute to the man who represented the sport worldwide and inspired millions of fans and future players. Check it out below.