Diamond Geezer

I'm a sucker for merch. If it's cheap, plastic and destined for landfill in a matter of weeks, I'll take two please. I am in short, the kind of customer savvy marketers love – just the kind that Brazilian firm Lacta had in mind, all the way back in 1938.

Lacta produce the favorite souvenir I have picked up so far: an inconspicuous chocolate bar, called the Diamante Negro. Cunning linguists will spot this means “Black Diamond”. What they might not know is, that this was the first-ever product endorsed by a footballer.

The “Black Diamond” in question was Leonidas da Silva, the top-scorer at the 1938 World Cup. Da Silva (and his team-mate Domingos da Guia) smashed Brazil's race-barrier to illuminate the Seleçao of the 1930s. Brazilians even credit the “Rubber Man”, as he was known, with inventing the bicycle kick.

But his name truly went down in legend after he stunned French crowds at the 1938 tournament. His seven goals fired Brazil to third place, he was crowned the World Cup's best player and a local reporter dubbed him “Le Diamont Noir”. The nickname stuck and Brazil's first black footballing hero was born.

Upon his return to Brazil, the chocolate-marketing gurus pounced. The Diamante Negro hit the shelves. And the floodgates swung open for footballers plugging products.

Despite that, da Silva's eponymous choc-slab remains well-loved in his homeland and tastes pretty damn fine, too. Sure, it is a gimmick-free lump of milk chocolate, largely unchanged in recipe or design since its thirties heyday.

But it has historic, nostalgic overtones that linger long on the palette. Leonidas da Silva, with this bite I salute you! What a shame you can't be banging in the goals for struggling Brazil right now.

In your country, have any footballers inspired new trends, like chocolate, sweets, food or drink? Let us know in our comments section or tweet @DW_Sports.