The teenagers dipped their brushes in the cans of green, blue and yellow paint. Carefully, they swirled and swiped the bristles across their rather large canvas: the street slicing through their Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.
Across Brazil, a largely abandoned tradition is being revived as World Cup fever sweeps the soccer-mad nation of 213 million. For the first time in years, fans are adorning the pavement in front of their homes with elaborate designs of the Brazilian flag, soccer balls, golden trophies and oversize portraits of their favorite players.
Once a cherished World Cup ritual, street painting largely stopped after a nightmarish loss that has been seared into the memory of just about every Brazilian: the national team’s spectacular meltdown in a 2014 semifinals match against Germany, which defeated Brazil 7 to 1.
Even worse, the loss was on home turf because Brazil hosted that year’s tournament.
“That 7-1 really killed the vibe,” said Rafaela Santana, a 32-year-old baker who remembers painting the street as a child and revived the tradition in her neighborhood this year. “We just couldn’t get our spirits back up after that.”
This year though, Brazilians are once again daring to hope that their nation could return to its soccer glory days.
Some believe it could even bring home its sixth trophy and finally end a 24-year losing streak that has cast a shadow over a country where soccer is central to the national identity. (Brazil, which is among the favorites to win the tournament, plays its first match on Saturday against Morocco.)
No one knows exactly when street painting began in Brazil, but historical records show decorated roads in central Rio as far back as 1970. That year, a star-studded national team featuring Pelé led Brazil to its third World Cup win.
Through the 1980s and ’90s, street painting surged in popularity as neighborhoods in cities like Rio, São Paulo and Manaus covered the ground in creative decorations of yellow, green and blue, colors of the national flag. When Brazil won its fourth title, in 1994, the decorations became a symbol of good luck in the deeply superstitious nation.
In all, Brazil has won five World Cup trophies, more than any other country. Home to some of soccer’s greatest talents, Brazil’s fame as “the country of soccer” lingers both at home and abroad, even as its wins on the international stage have dried up in recent years.
But after the 2014 loss, enthusiasm for the national team evaporated among many Brazilians. Underwhelming performances in recent tournaments have dampened spirits even more, and the tradition of getting communities to paint the streets lost its appeal.
As another star-packed team — this time featuring Neymar Jr. — began to form this year, though, excitement began to spread across Brazil again. Nostalgic Brazilians decided to revive a once-beloved World Cup ritual that younger generations had never experienced.
On a recent Sunday morning, a small group gathered on the main street of an impoverished Rio neighborhood at dawn to finish an elaborate yellow, green and blue painting meant to stretch about three blocks.
“We all have fond memories of painting the street,” said Jorge Santana, a 48-year-old artist, as he traced the word “Brasil” onto the pavement. “We wanted to bring it back for the kids.”
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the road, David Lucas Barreto da Silva, 9, swirled bright blue paint into the shape of a smiley face. “This is my first time painting the street,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to do it.”
Street painting projects like this one have ricocheted across the internet, in some cases drawing millions of views. Rio’s local government has even promised a prize to the most festive street.
Across town, Carlos Magalhães and his close-knit neighbors are determined to take the municipal prize, just as they did decades ago, when his father first began painting World Cup symbols on the street in the 1980s.
“It brings together the community in a way that we’re losing these days,” said Mr. Magalhães, a 42-year-old pharmacy technician. “Now we’re passing it on to the next generation.”
Nearby, Jean Machado da Silva, 23, clad in a soccer jersey stamped with “Neymar Jr.” on the back, climbed a ladder to put the finishing touches on a mural of Brazil’s biggest soccer star, framed by five stars representing Brazil’s World Cup titles.
Born during the 2002 World Cup, the young artist had never witnessed his country triumph in the tournament. Once he was satisfied with the mural, Mr. da Silva carefully drew a sixth star and a question mark.
“This one is ours,” he said. “I just know it.”
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