When New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani mentioned Socrates in his World Cup message, many people probably thought of the ancient Greek philosopher.

But football had its own Sócrates. He was a Brazilian legend, a medical doctor, a World Cup captain and one of the sport's greatest revolutionaries.

During Brazil's military rule in the 1980s, Sócrates helped turn his club Corinthians into a symbol of democracy. Through Corinthian Democracy, players voted on club decisions and used football to campaign for democratic change.

For Sócrates, football was never just about winning matches. It was about using the game's biggest stage to stand up for social change.

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