ðə tˈɜːm wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪnðɪ ˈiəɹə nˈoʊn æz ˌɛl doːɹˈɑːdoʊ ɪn kəlˈʌmbiə, wˌɛn ðə fˈʊtbɔːl lˈiːɡ bɹˈoʊk ɐwˈeɪ fɹʌm fˈiːfə bɪkˈʌz ðə kəlˈʌmbiən fˈʊtbɔːl lˈiːɡ tˈɜːnd pɹəfˈɛʃənəl ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt.
The term was born in the era known as El Dorado in Colombia, when the football league broke away from FIFA because the Colombian football league turned professional in 1948.