João Havelange

João was a man from Brazil.

He loved sports. He even swam in the big Olympic Games. Later, he became a leader for soccer.

He led a group called FIFA. He helped the World Cup grow very big. He added more teams to the games.

He also brought in big companies to help. This brought more money to soccer.

But some people said he was not fair. They said he took money that was not his. He left his jobs many years later.

João Havelange was a leader from Brazil.

He was a lawyer and a businessman. He also loved sports. As a young man, he swam in the Olympics. Later, he became a very important leader for soccer.

In 1974, he became the president of FIFA. FIFA is the group that runs soccer for the whole world. He was the first leader from outside of Europe. He worked hard to make the World Cup much bigger. He grew the tournament from 16 teams to 32 teams. He also helped start the Women's World Cup.

To get money for soccer, he worked with big companies. He brought in brands like Coca-Cola. This brought a lot of money to the sport. But not everyone was happy with his work.

Some people said he was not fair. A report said he and his son-in-law took bribes. Bribes are money given secretly to change a decision. They were linked to the rights to show the World Cup on TV. Havelange left his roles in sports many years later.

João Havelange was a very important leader in the world of sports. He was born on May 8, 1916, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

His father came from Belgium to live in Brazil. Havelange grew up to be a lawyer and a businessman. He even worked for bus companies and chemical firms. Before he led large sports groups, he was an athlete himself. He competed as a swimmer in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He also played water polo for Brazil in the 1952 Olympics.

In 1974, Havelange won a major election to lead FIFA. FIFA is the group that runs soccer all over the world. He was the first person from outside of Europe to hold this job.

To win, he traveled to 86 different countries to talk to leaders. He often traveled with the famous soccer player Pelé. Havelange wanted to make the World Cup much bigger. He promised that more nations could host the games. This helped many developing countries feel part of the sport. He eventually grew the tournament from 16 teams to 32 teams.

Making soccer a global business was a big part of his work. Havelange knew that soccer needed a lot of money to grow. He worked with big companies to find sponsors for tournaments. He brought in famous brands like Coca-Cola and Adidas.

These companies paid to have their names seen during the games. This changed how sports groups work around the world. Because of this, the money from TV rights grew very large. In 1987, European TV rights for three World Cups cost $440 million. Later, rights for other tournaments sold for $2.2 billion.

While he grew the sport, many people had problems with his leadership. Some leaders said his ways were not fair or democratic.

He had a long disagreement with Pelé. This happened after Pelé accused a family member of Havelange of being unfair. Havelange even banned Pelé from a big soccer draw in 1994. He also faced criticism for how he handled votes in FIFA. Some people felt he did not let others have a say. These disagreements made his time as leader very complicated.

Later in his life, serious reports came out about his business deals. A report in 2012 said Havelange and his son-in-law took bribes. Bribes are secret payments made to influence a decision. These payments were linked to who got to sell World Cup rights. He had also been a member of the Olympic Committee for many years. He was the longest-serving member there when he finally left. Havelange lived to be 100 years old. He passed away in August 2016. His life showed how much soccer changed during his time.

João Havelange was a powerful figure in global sports. He was a Brazilian lawyer and businessman. He also served as a high-ranking sports official. Most notably, he was the seventh president of FIFA. FIFA is the international governing body for association football. Havelange held this position from 1974 to 1998. This was the second longest presidency in FIFA's history.

Before leading FIFA, Havelange was an athlete. He was born on May 8, 1916, in Rio de Janeiro. His father immigrated to Brazil from Belgium. Havelange studied law at Fluminense Federal University. He graduated with a BA in law at age 24. He worked for several companies in Brazil. These included a bus company and a chemical firm. He also competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics as a swimmer. Later, he played water polo for Brazil in the 1952 Olympics.

Havelange changed how international sports were managed. In 1974, he defeated Stanley Rous to become FIFA president. He was the first non-European to hold the role. To win, he campaigned in 86 different countries. He often traveled with the famous footballer Pelé. Havelange promised to expand the World Cup. He wanted more developing nations to host tournaments. This strategy helped him gain support from many regions. He eventually grew the World Cup from 16 teams to 32 teams.

He also turned football into a massive commercial industry. Havelange understood the economic power of global tournaments. He worked with sports marketer Patrick Nally to find sponsors. He brought major brands like Coca-Cola and Adidas into FIFA. This created a new model for global sporting federations. The sale of television rights grew significantly under his leadership. In 1987, European rights for three World Cups sold for $440 million. Later, non-U.S. rights for tournaments starting in 1998 sold for $2.2 billion.

However, his leadership faced many serious criticisms. Some officials called his behavior undemocratic. He had a long feud with Pelé. This started after Pelé accused Havelange's son-in-law, Ricardo Teixeira, of corruption. In response, Havelange banned Pelé from the 1994 World Cup draw. Havelange also faced tension with European football leaders. This was because his expansion of the World Cup favored other regions. He was criticized for how he handled votes and committee appointments.

Reports later emerged regarding illegal financial activities. In 2012, a Swiss prosecutor's report was released. It stated that Havelange and Ricardo Teixeira took bribes. These payments totaled more than 41 million Swiss francs. The bribes were connected to World Cup marketing rights. A company called ISL also faced collapse after years of controversy. Investigators found that ISL paid large sums in "personal commissions" to officials. These were described by a judge as "schmiergeld," which means bribery.

Havelange was also a long-serving member of the International Olympic Committee. He served from 1963 until 2011. He was the longest-serving active member when he resigned. He received the title of honorary president when he left FIFA. He resigned from the IOC in 2011 due to health concerns. Havelange died on August 16, 2016, at the age of 100. His career shaped the modern business of global football.