As we all rub our hands in anticipation for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, in what promises to be a thrilling, dramatic and suspenseful tournament, the question must be asked as to whether or not Brazil is really prepared to welcome the whole world with open arms for this showpiece.
There is no doubt that Brazil is an excellent candidate to host the World Cup, due in part to its rich soccer culture and past success in the World Cups. In fact, Brazil is the record winner of the World Cup with five titles. Brazil also consistently has players of distinct talent with the likes of Neymar, Oscar and Thiago Silva of today adding to names from the past of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and even the likes of Socrates (not the philosopher), Carlos Alberto and the immortal Pele. Brazil also boasts one of the most iconic stadiums in the world in the Estadio Maracana where local club Corinthians plays. Hosting the World Cup goes beyond soccer, which seems to be something that Brazil has overlooked in their preparation.
Brazil has had a problem with poverty for quite some time, with many of the country’s citizens struggling to make ends meet on a daily basis. Brazil is also known for having “favelas,” or massive slums, in many of its major cities such as Sao Paulo, Recifé and Rio de Janeiro. As a result, the citizens of the country have been pleading for help to make their lives more manageable, or in other words, with financial support. Factors that we as American citizens and residents take for granted such as bus fares, electric bills, housing rents and tuition for schools are ridiculously high. As a result, the Brazilian citizens feel a sense of injustice due to the fact that so much money is being pumped into funding for the World Cup such as building new stadia. On top of the high prices for utilities and everyday items, the infrastructure is relatively poor with poor roads and bridges. Brazilians feel that if the government can afford to finance for the World Cup, then it can finance for improving the country as a whole.
In the past year or so, there have been protests held due to the massive amount of money being used for World Cup funding. This also happened during last year’s Confederations Cup, a tournament held a year before the World Cup with the winners of the African, European, North and Central American, South American, Asian and Oceanian regions. It also comprises of the host country (Brazil) and the winners of the last World Cup (Spain, who was also winner of the last European championship). These protests have left FIFA (the soccer governing body) officials wondering if the locals will boycott the World Cup due to the widespread displeasure regarding the huge spending.
From a neutral standpoint, it would be nice to see Brazil as the perfect host for the World Cup since it has a chance to make a statement in the global market. If Brazil ends up hosting the World Cup with few or no problems, that may attract investors to come and pump money into the country to satisfy citizens. In Brazil, soccer is like a religion, and I’m sure the fans would have little to no hesitation in attending the games as it promises to be a thrilling event.
Richard Duh can be reached at richard.duh@spartans.ut.edu.