World Cup Weekly

Official FIFA WC Logo. Source: FIFA

The Football World Cup is the largest single-sport competition around, which attracts viewership from almost half the world. In 2010, when the tournament was last held, an estimated 3.2 billion people (46.4% of the population at the time) watched some part of the event. 

With global reach that wide, the 17 countries who have hosted the tournament are in elite company. Brazil, as one of only three to have organised the World Cup twice, is in an even more distinguished group. 

The South American giants last saw the competition played on their soil before there was color television, in 1950. Theirs was the first World Cup played after the Second World War and was in many ways representative of the world order at the time. 

Germany and Japan, who were both still occupied by Allied forces, were not allowed to compete. Eastern European teams, which included most nations behind the Iron Curtain such as the Soviet Union, Hungary and France refused to take part. 

Argentina, Ecuador and Peru withdrew during qualifying because of disputes with the Brazilian federation in Argentina’s case and financial worries. India pulled out after qualifying ostensibly because they would not be allowed to play barefoot, which they had done at the 1948 Olympics, but logistical issues also hampered their case. Turkey could not afford to travel and France did not arrive after citing too much travel in their group. 

That left 13, out of which Brazil were expected to triumph. They reached the final, only to lose to Uruguay. They see 2014 as a chance to put that, and many other things, right. 

This competition will be bigger and better than the one before. Instead of 13 teams, there are 32. Instead of six venues, there are 12. Instead of 1,045,246 people at the games, there are expected to be more than three million. 

The 32 national teams playing this summer in Brazil. Source: DailyMail

Making that happen has not been easy. Brazil has had to prep and prime and still has some way to go. Those who want to bring attention to the plight of people in favellas to those who are campaigning against worker’s wages have punctuated the planning with protests. Income inequality has been highlighted. So has fiery passion for the game that has been said to unite the world. And now, the event is less than six months away. 

For those of you who are busy buying your nations' colors and planning a trip to Brazil in the summer, here are some things you can look forward to:

Venue Update:

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke will conclude his four-day inspection visit to Brazil on Thursday when he will meet with members of the local organizing committee in Rio.

Valcke’s trip started with a trip to Sao Paulo where the tournament will kick off with the match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12. The construction of the stadium has been severely delayed after two workers were killed when a crane collapsed late last year. He urged Brazilians to work together to ensure the arena is built and the opening game takes place without incident. “The pressure is a little bit bigger here. It’s the first game. It has to be a success. The world will be watching,” he said. 

The Itaquerao Stadium is expected to be ready in mid-April and is one of six stadiums that missed the December deadline. Arena da Baixada in the southern city of Curitiba, is another. Valcke changed his travel plans to inspect this venue and then moved to Natal to look at the Arena das Dunas. 

Travel Planning: 

If you’re worried about visiting the theaters of dreams described above, your concerns will be eased with the knowledge that a second Brazilian airline has agreed to cap fares. Avianca Brazil has joined Azul in putting a limit on one-way fares. The most travelers will pay is 999 reals (US$425). 

Brazil is expecting more than half a million tourists, who will join the throngs of locals in trekking across the country to watch their teams but prices threatened to  quash their plans. Airlines and hotels had inflated their charges, much to the criticism of the local government and are now responding. 

Even with the lower prices, there may not be enough flights to go around. TAM, the largest airline the country, may put on an additional 1,000 flights in the World Cup period but airlines have asked for at least 523 more to be added to the schedule. With limited infrastructure, an agreement on this has yet to be reached. 

Local News: 

Should you get no further than Sao Paulo or Rio, don’t despair. There will be something to watch there, especially this weekend. Around 1,000 people are expected to gather at the JK Shopping Center with 8,000 expected at a mall in Rio in a flash-mob, known as a “rolezinho,” to protest against racism and inequality. 

The Financial Times quoted academic Rafael Alcadipani as saying the current demonstrations can be seen as a continuation as last year’s protests, Brazil’s biggest in two decades. But, Alcadipani says this  time is includes “people from the city’s periphery.” 

One such movement has already taken place. Last week, 6,000 teenagers occupied a shopping center in Sao Paulo and numerous other groups sprang up around the city. They were organised via social media, with Facebook in particular, playing a role and military police used rubber bullets and tear gas to break up the protests. The demonstrations are believed to be a way of Brazilian citizens voicing their concerns over inequality. 

Wednesdays’ World Cup Weekly is the Atlantic Post’s watch on the World Cup. Every seven days, we’ll bring you a selection of the most important updates from Brazil as we approach the tournament. 

-Firdose Moonda

Firdose is The Atlantic Post's Correspondent in Southern Africa. She writes and analyzes Cricket and Football news around the world.