ABSTRACT
Soccer spread throughout the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul between 1900 and 1920. This state was one of the first to adopt and organize the regular practice of soccer. This process of diffusion and adaptation was heavily influenced by socio-spatial processes in the region of the Rio de la Plata of Uruguay and the eastern side of Argentina. Also, influential was the contribution from German immigrants, whose societal position and sporting traditions were prominent in the society of Rio Grande do Sul at the end of nineteenth century. This essay analyses the introduction of soccer in this part of Brazil, against the backdrop of above mentioned influences.
