In July 1914, a squad from Devon made sporting history on the other side of the Atlantic. Exeter City Football Club became the first team ever to face the Brazil national side, losing 2–0 at the Estádio das Laranjeiras in Rio de Janeiro.
The Invitation No One Else Wanted
The Football Association initially approached Nottingham Forest and Southampton to undertake a tour of South America, but both clubs declined. Exeter City, then a modest professional outfit from the Westcountry, accepted the invitation instead. The club was already touring Argentina when fixtures in Brazil were arranged, with local businessman Harry Robinson playing a key role in organising the matches.
A Pioneering Tour
Exeter City’s 1914 expedition was the first by a professional English club to Brazil. The tour was intended to promote football in a country where the sport was still developing. The Grecians carried with them the tactics, kit, and competitive spirit of the English game at a time when international tours were rare and arduous.
The Match at Laranjeiras
On 21 July 1914, Exeter City lined up against a Brazilian selection at the Estádio das Laranjeiras in Rio de Janeiro. The hosts, playing under the authority of the Federação Brasileira de Sports, ran out 2–0 winners. The match is recognised as the Brazil national team’s first official fixture. During the game, two Exeter players, Lagan and Fort, briefly walked off the pitch before being persuaded to return and finish the contest. Among the Brazilian side was Arthur Friedenreich, who would go on to become the nation’s first great football star.
An Unlikely Legacy
The result itself was soon forgotten in Exeter, but the fixture’s significance grew in Brazil as football became a central part of national identity. The 1914 meeting sowed the seeds of a connection that would endure for more than a century. Because of that original tour, Exeter City and Rio de Janeiro club Fluminense are now official partner clubs.
Centenary and Partnership
In 2014, Exeter City returned to Brazil to mark the 100th anniversary of the match. The Grecians played three games, drawing 0–0 with Fluminense Under-23s, beating Tupi 2–1, and defeating Rio Cricket Club 3–1. The visit reaffirmed the bond between the Devon club and its Brazilian counterparts, reminding supporters in both countries that some sporting stories begin in the most unexpected places.