Naming: How Brazilian soccer players get their names

Brazil's affinity for nicknames might stem from the country's historically high illiteracy rate. As such, shortened spoken names are typically used more often than longer birth names. In Brazilian society, the use of a first name or nickname is a mark of intimacy. It's also often a class signifier. Lula (the country president's nickname), for one, is known for his working-class roots.

More here