2014 FIFA World Cup

2014 FIFA World Cup
Copa do Mundo da FIFA
Brasil 2014

2014 FIFA World Cup logo
Tournament details
Host country  Brazil
Dates 12 June – 13 July (32 days)
Teams 32 (from 5 or 6 confederations)
Venue(s) 12 (in 12 host cities)
2010
2018

The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.[1]

This will be the second time the country has hosted the competition, the first being the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Brazil will become the fifth country to have hosted the FIFA World Cup twice, after Mexico, Italy, France and Germany. It will be the first World Cup to be held in South America since the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, the first time two consecutive World Cups are staged outside Europe and the first time two consecutive World Cups are staged in the Southern Hemisphere (the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held in South Africa).

Contents

Host selection

On 7 March 2003, FIFA announced that the tournament would be held in South America for the first time since Argentina hosted the competition in 1978, in line with its policy of rotating the right to host the World Cup amongst different confederations. On 3 June 2003, CONMEBOL announced that Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia wanted to host the 2014 World Cup finals.[2]

By 17 March 2004, the CONMEBOL associations had voted unanimously to adopt Brazil as their sole candidate.[3]

Brazil formally declared its candidacy in December 2006 and Colombia followed a few days later. The Argentina bid never materialized. On 11 April 2007, Colombia officially withdrew its bid, Francisco Santos Calderón the vice president of Colombia announced that instead Colombia would be hosting the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. With this development, Brazil became the only official candidate to host the 2014 event.[4]

Brazil won the right to host the event on 30 October 2007 as the only country to enter a bid.[5]

Qualification

The qualification draw for the 2014 World Cup was held at the Marina da Glória in Rio de Janeiro on 30 July 2011.[6] As the host nation, Brazil automatically qualifies for the tournament.

On 3 March 2011 FIFA decided to distribute places in the final tournament:[7]

The pairings in play-off games will be determined prior to the main draw, taking place on 29 July 2011 in Rio de Janeiro at a press conference following the meeting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Organising Committee.[8]

Qualified teams

Team Order of
qualification
Method of
qualification
Date of
qualification
Finals
appearance
Consecutive
World Cups
Last
appearance
Previous best
performance
FIFA Ranking
at start of event
 Brazil 1st Host 30 Oct 2007 20th 20 2010 Winner (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)

Europe (UEFA)

(53 teams competing for 13 berths)

South America (CONMEBOL)

(9 teams competing for 4 or 5 berths, playoff to determine exact number)

CONMEBOL will have 4 or 5 berths through qualification, with the top four teams in the group qualifying directly to the finals. The fifth place team from the group will play Asia's 5th place team in a home-and-away series to determine who will qualify.

In addition, Brazil automatically qualifies for the finals as host.

Africa (CAF)

(52 teams competing for 5 berths)

Asia (AFC)

(43 teams competing for 4 or 5 berths, playoff to determine exact number)

North, Central American and the Caribbean (CONCACAF)

(35 teams competing for 3 or 4 berths, with playoff to determine exact number) There are 3 certain berths that would be allocated to the first 3 places in the final group. The 4th place team in the final group will play Oceania's winner in a home and away series to determine who will qualify for the finals.

Oceania (OFC)

(11 teams competing for 0 or 1 berth, playoff to determine exact number) The winner of OFC will play the 4th team from CONCACAF in a home and away series.

Venues

Seventeen cities showed interest in being chosen as World Cup host cities: Belém, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Campo Grande, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Fortaleza, Goiânia, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife, Olinda (a stadium would be shared by both cities), Rio Branco, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.[9] Maceió withdrew in January 2009.

According to current FIFA practice, no more than one city may use two stadiums, and the number of host cities is limited between eight and ten. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) requested permission to assign 12 cities hosting World Cup Finals.[10] On 26 December 2008, FIFA gave the green light to the 12-city plan.[11]

Even before the 12 host cities were selected, there were few doubts that the chosen venue for the final match will be the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, which also hosted the decisive match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Originally the CBF's intentions were to have the opening match at Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil. However, on 14 June 2010 the stadium was excluded from hosting games in the tournament due to a failure to provide financial guarantees for the improvements needed to have it as an eligible venue.[12] At the end of August 2010, the CBF announced that the new Corinthians Stadium would host the matches in São Paulo.

The 12 host cities for the 2014 World Cup were announced on 31 May 2009.[13] Belém, Campo Grande, Florianópolis, Goiânia and Rio Branco were rejected. Half of the chosen host cities will have their games in brand new venues built specifically for the World Cup, while the stadium for the capital Brasilia was demolished and will be rebuilt, and the remaining five are upgrading their current stadia.

Belo Horizonte Brasília Cuiabá Curitiba
Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto
(Mineirão)
Estádio Mané Garrincha
(Estádio Nacional)
Arena Pantanal -
Governador José Fragelli
(Novo Verdão)
Estádio Joaquim Américo Guimarães
(Arena da Baixada)
Planned capacity: 69,950
(upgraded)
Planned capacity: 71,500
(rebuilt)
Planned capacity: 42,500
(new stadium)
Planned capacity: 41,375
(upgraded)
Fortaleza Manaus
Estádio Plácido Aderaldo Castelo
(Castelão)
Arena Amazônia -
Vivaldo Lima
(Novo Vivaldão)
Planned capacity: 67,037
(upgraded)
Planned capacity: 50,000
(new stadium)
Natal Porto Alegre
Arena das Dunas -
João Cláudio de Vasconcelos Machado
(Novo Machadão)
Estádio José Pinheiro Borda
(Beira-Rio)
Planned capacity: 45,000
(new stadium)
Planned capacity: 62,000
(upgraded)
Recife Rio de Janeiro Salvador São Paulo
Arena Pernambuco Estádio Mário Filho
(Maracanã)
Arena Fonte Nova Arena Corinthians
Planned capacity: 46,160
(new stadium)
Planned capacity: 82,000
(upgraded)[14]
Planned capacity: 55,000
(new stadium)
Planned capacity: 48,000
(new stadium)[15]

Group stage

All times listed are Brasília official time (UTC−03)

The official match schedule, which is subject to change, was announced at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on 20 October 2011.[16]

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Brazil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 June 2014
17:00
Brazil  Match 1 A2 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

13 June 2014
A3 Match 2 A4 Estádio das Dunas, Natal

17 June 2014
Brazil  Match 17 A3 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

18 June 2014
A2 Match 18 A4 Arena Amazonia, Manaus

23 June 2014
Brazil  Match 33 A4 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

23 June 2014
A2 Match 34 A3 Arena Pernambuco, Recife

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
B1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 June 2014
B1 Match 3 B2 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

13 June 2014
B3 Match 4 B4 Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá

18 June 2014
B1 Match 19 B3 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

18 June 2014
B2 Match 20 B4 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

23 June 2014
B1 Match 35 B4 Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

23 June 2014
B2 Match 36 B3 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
C1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 June 2014
C1 Match 5 C2 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

14 June 2014
C3 Match 6 C4 Arena Pernambuco, Recife

19 June 2014
C1 Match 21 C3 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

19 June 2014
C2 Match 22 C4 Estádio das Dunas, Natal

24 June 2014
C1 Match 37 C4 Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá

24 June 2014
C2 Match 38 C3 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

Group D

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
D1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
D4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 June 2014
D1 Match 7 D2 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

14 June 2014
D3 Match 8 D4 Arena Amazonia, Manaus

19 June 2014
D1 Match 23 D3 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

20 June 2014
D2 Match 24 D4 Arena Pernambuco, Recife

24 June 2014
D1 Match 39 D4 Estádio das Dunas, Natal

24 June 2014
D2 Match 40 D3 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

Group E

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
E1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
E4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 June 2014
E1 Match 9 E2 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

15 June 2014
E3 Match 10 E4 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

20 June 2014
E1 Match 25 E3 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

20 June 2014
E2 Match 26 E4 Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

25 June 2014
E1 Match 41 E4 Arena Amazonia, Manaus

25 June 2014
E2 Match 42 E3 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

Group F

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
F1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
F4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 June 2014
F1 Match 11 F2 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

16 June 2014
F3 Match 12 F4 Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

21 June 2014
F1 Match 27 F3 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

21 June 2014
F2 Match 28 F4 Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá

25 June 2014
F1 Match 43 F4 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

25 June 2014
F2 Match 44 F3 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Group G

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
G1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
G4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 June 2014
G1 Match 13 G2 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

16 June 2014
G3 Match 14 G4 Estádio das Dunas, Natal

21 June 2014
G1 Match 29 G3 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

22 June 2014
G2 Match 30 G4 Arena Amazonia, Manaus

26 June 2014
G1 Match 45 G4 Arena Pernambuco, Recife

26 June 2014
G2 Match 46 G3 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

Group H

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
H1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17 June 2014
H1 Match 15 H2 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

17 June 2014
H3 Match 16 H4 Arena Pantanal, Cuiabá

22 June 2014
H1 Match 31 H3 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

22 June 2014
H2 Match 32 H4 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

26 June 2014
H1 Match 47 H4 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

26 June 2014
H2 Match 48 H3 Arena da Baixada, Curitiba

Knockout phase

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
                           
28 June – Belo Horizonte            
 Winner Group A  
4 July – Fortaleza
 Runner-up Group B    
 Winner Match 49  
28 June – Rio de Janeiro
   Winner Match 50    
 Winner Group C  
8 July – Belo Horizonte
 Runner-up Group D    
 Winner Match 57  
30 June – Brasília
   Winner Match 58    
 Winner Group E  
4 July – Rio de Janeiro
 Runner-up Group F    
 Winner Match 53  
30 June – Porto Alegre
   Winner Match 54    
 Winner Group G  
13 July – Rio de Janeiro
 Runner-up Group H    
 Winner Match 61  
29 June – Fortaleza
   Winner Match 62  
 Winner Group B  
5 July – Salvador
 Runner-up Group A    
 Winner Match 51  
29 June – Recife
   Winner Match 52    
 Winner Group D  
9 July – São Paulo
 Runner-up Group C    
 Winner Match 59  
1 July – São Paulo
   Winner Match 60     Third place
 Winner Group F  
5 July – Brasília 12 July – Brasília
 Runner-up Group E    
 Winner Match 55    Loser Match 61  
1 July – Salvador
   Winner Match 56      Loser Match 62  
 Winner Group H  
 Runner-up Group G    

Round of 16

28 June 2014
Winner Group A Match 49 Runner-up Group B Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

28 June 2014
Winner Group C Match 50 Runner-up Group D Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

29 June 2014
Winner Group B Match 51 Runner-up Group A Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

29 June 2014
Winner Group D Match 52 Runner-up Group C Arena Pernambuco, Recife

30 June 2014
Winner Group E Match 53 Runner-up Group F Estádio Nacional, Brasília

30 June 2014
Winner Group G Match 54 Runner-up Group H Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre

1 July 2014
Winner Group F Match 55 Runner-up Group E Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

1 July 2014
Winner Group H Match 56 Runner-up Group G Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Quarter-finals

4 July 2014
Winner Match 49 Match 57 Winner Match 50 Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza

4 July 2014
Winner Match 53 Match 58 Winner Match 54 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

5 July 2014
Winner Match 51 Match 59 Winner Match 52 Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

5 July 2014
Winner Match 55 Match 60 Winner Match 56 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

Semi-finals

8 July 2014
17:00
Winner Match 57 Match 61 Winner Match 58 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte

9 July 2014
17:00
Winner Match 59 Match 62 Winner Match 60 Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

Third place match

12 July 2014
17:00
Loser Match 61 Match 63 Loser Match 62 Estádio Nacional, Brasília

Final

13 July 2014
16:00
Winner Match 61 Match 64 Winner Match 62 Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

The logo is called "Inspiration", and was created by Brazilian agency Africa. The design stems from an iconic photograph of three victorious hands together raising the world's most famous trophy. As well as depicting the humanitarian notion of hands interlinking, the portrayal of the hands is also symbolic of the yellow and green of Brazil warmly welcoming the world to their country. The logo was unveiled at a ceremony held in Johannesburg on 8 July 2010.[17]

FIFA and the Brazil LOC invited 25 Brazilian-based agencies to submit designs for the Official Emblem of the 2014 tournament and the task of picking the winner was awarded to a high-profile seven-strong judging panel consisting of CBF chairman Ricardo Teixeira, FIFA executive secretary Jérôme Valcke, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, architect Oscar Niemeyer, writer Paulo Coelho, singer Ivete Sangalo, and designer Hans Donner.[18]

Brazilian graphic designer Alexandre Wollner has criticized the design, suggesting it resembles a hand covering a face in shame, and the process through which it was chosen, having a jury that excluded professional graphic designers.[19]

Infrastructure

Stadiums

The CBF estimates that the cost of construction and remodeling of stadiums[20] alone will be approximately over R$1.9 billion ($1.1 billion, £ 550 million).[21] In addition to the stadium upgrades and renovations, there will be millions more spent on basic infrastructure needs to get the country ready.

When informed of the decision to host the tournament, CBF President Ricardo Teixeira said: "We are a civilized nation, a nation that is going through an excellent phase, and we have got everything prepared to receive adequately the honor to organize an excellent World Cup." Teixeira was on hand at FIFA's headquarters in Zürich when the announcement was made.

"Over the next few years we will have a consistent influx of investments. The 2014 World Cup will enable Brazil to have a modern infrastructure," Teixeira said. "In social terms will be very beneficial. Our objective is to make Brazil become more visible in global arenas," he added. "The World Cup goes far beyond a mere sporting event. It's going to be an interesting tool to promote social transformation."

Airports

On 31 August 2009 the state airport management agency Infraero unveiled a R$ 5.3 billion (approx. €3 billion, £ 2 billion) investment plan[22] to upgrade airports of ten of the venue cities, increasing their capacity and comfort for the hundreds of thousands of tourists expected for the Cup. Natal and Salvador are excluded because their upgrade works have been recently completed. A significant amount (55.3%) of the money will be spent overhauling the airports of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The investment figure covers works to be carried out up to 2014.

The announcement by Infraero came in reply to criticism made by the Brazilian General Aviation Association, a grouping of private aircraft owners, that Brazil's airports currently could not cope with the World Cup inflow. The vice-president of the association, Adalberto Febeliano, told reporters that more than 500,000 football fans were expected, with each one taking between six and fourteen flights during the tournament to get to the games in various cities.[23] In May 2010, the Government of Brazil changed the bidding legislation to allow more flexibility to Infraero.[24]

Metro, Monorail, and Light rail

In 2012, the Porto Alegre International Airport will have a monorail line that connects the airport with Aeroporto metro station of Greater Porto Alegre Metro. That will connect the airport with downtown Porto Alegre and the stadium.[25]

In 2014, the São Paulo International Airport will have a metro line that connects the airport with downtown São Paulo and the stadium. The new line integrates the São Paulo Metro and Greater São Paulo Metro.[26]

In 2014, the Salvador International Airport will have a metro line that connects the airport with downtown Salvador and the stadium. The new line integrates the Salvador Metro.[27]

In 2014, the Fortaleza International Airport will have a metro line that connects the airport with downtown Fortaleza and the stadium. The new line integrates the Fortaleza Metro.[28]

In 2014, the Manaus International Airport will have a monorail line that connects the airport with downtown Manaus and the stadium.[29]

In 2014, the Brasília International Airport will have a light rail line that connects the airport with downtown Brasília and the stadium. The new line integrates the Brasília Metro.[30]

In 2014, the Cuiabá International Airport will have a light rail line that connects the airport with downtown Cuiabá and the stadium.[31]

In 2014, the Natal International Airport will have a light rail line that connects the airport with downtown Natal and the stadium.[32]

BRT

In 2014, Belo Horizonte International Airport will have a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that connects the airport with downtown Belo Horizonte and the stadium. The BRT system will integrates the Belo Horizonte Metro.

In 2014, the Curitiba International Airport will have a BRT line that connects the airport with downtown Curitiba and the stadium. The future BRT line of International Airport will add to the Rede Integrada de Transporte of Curitiba, one of the largest BRT systems of the world.

In 2014, the Recife International Airport will have a BRT line, that connects the airport with downtown Recife, metropolitan area, and the stadium. The BRT system will integrates the Recife Metro.

In 2014, the Rio de Janeiro International Airport will have a BRT line that connects the airport with Barra da Tijuca, a neighborhood in the West Zone of the city, which is the headquarters of 2016 Olympic Games. This will connect the BRT station in Barra da Tijuca with the South Zone (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, etc), the stadium, and the rest of the city is through the Rio de Janeiro Metro.

Development programme

The Brazilian federal government has earmarked R$ 3 billion (€ 1.8 billion, £ 1.1 billion) for investment in works relating to the 2014 World Cup, and intends to release a package of works, entitled the FIFA World Cup PAC (Portuguese acronym for Growth Acceleration Programme). According to the Brazilian minister of cities, Márcio Fortes, the bulk of funds should go to works pertaining to the tournament itself, but the total figure will only be defined after a meeting with representatives of the municipalities that will host the matches.

"This is only an initial figure. We have not set a figure yet. These R$3 billion will allow us to take the first step. The total value of projects is not known yet. We are going to hold talks with mayors to learn which projects are priorities," said the minister. The funds will be supplied by Pró-Transporte, a financing programme funded by the Severance Pay Indemnity Fund (FGTS) whose regulation was passed last year by the fund's Board of Curators.

According to Fortes, several city councils have already contacted the ministry and showed interest in partnership for carrying out infrastructure work turned exclusively to the Cup that will be held in Brazil. "For some time now, the city councils that will host the matches have been contacting us. The city councils have had meetings with FIFA and several projects were outlined. Our approach consists of dealing only with projects exclusively turned to the Cup. Our goal right now is not to solve transport-related issues in the city. We are going to help solve the issues pertaining to the events," he stated. According to the minister, another factor to be analysed by the Ministry of Cities is usefulness and sustainability of the investment after the competition is over. "We are not going to deal with huge projects. The cheapest and most efficient means of transport will be used. Of course, each case will be analysed separately," he explained.

Fortes stated that the PAC of the Cup is going to include partnerships with city councils and state governments, as well as some partnerships with the private sector. "The keyword is partnership. The federal government will not undertake anything by itself. It will be similar to the infrastructure PAC, in which we already have partnerships with city councils and state governments, as well as public-private partnerships. We are going to review the type of investment proposed, analyse their size, and the need for private sector participation, which may take place in different ways. The private sector may build and then lease the assets, or perhaps operate them. All of that will be discussed," he stated.

The minister also informed that preparations for the World Cup already include the creation of a line of financing for renewing the bus fleet across the country. The line will be made available by the Brazilian Federal Savings Bank with total funds of R$1 billion (€ 600 million, £ 375 million).[33]

Maracanã projects

The Maracanã Stadium, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, has been chosen for the final match. The Maracanã was inaugurated in the 1950 World Cup. For the 2014 World Cup, among other adaptations, a new cover will be built. The project also includes construction of a building for parking, above the lines of Supervia and subways, with 3,500 parking spaces. The estimated investment is R$ 460 million. According to the study of Sinaenco, there is a need to improve the visibility for spectators in the first few rows behind the cabins in the Maracanã, redesign the facilities for people with disabilities, and provide general health reform.

The project may also provide for the restoration of Quinta da Boa Vista and the Museum of São Cristóvão, in addition to redevelopment and revitalization of neighborhoods including Tijuca. The Engenhão stadium, completed for the 2007 Pan American Games, has a capacity of 45,000 people and will serve as a training ground for the World Cup.

An investment of R$ 5 billion is required to meet the requirements that Rio de Janeiro faces in the final tournament and other games, covering three areas: logistics (roads, railways, ports, waterways and airports), energy (generation and transmission of electric power, petroleum, natural gas and renewables) and social and urban (light, sanitation, housing, subways and water resources). In relation to the Rio de Janeiro Metro, the Ministry of Transport has held a public hearing regarding the extension of its lines. The line for the new project is 13.5 km (8.4 mi) long, and should cross the South Zone of the city, carrying around 200,000 passengers per day between six metro stations.[34]

Corinthians projects

The New Corinthians Stadium, in the city of São Paulo, has been chosen for the opening ceremony. São Paulo's chances of staging the opening ceremony of soccer's 2014 World Cup improved after FIFA accepted a guarantee that SC Corinthians Paulista's new stadium will be completed in time for the tournament. The stadium, being built by Odebrecht SA, will cost US$ 522 million, according to Corinthians President Andres Sanchez. BNDES, the national development bank, pledged US$ 400 million and the city of São Paulo will provide a property fund worth US$ 400 million.

On a statement on the Corinthians website, Ricardo Teixeira, president of the World Cup local organising committee and the Brazilian Football Confederation, said: "This approval -- in record time, less than a year -- is the result of efforts by the government of São Paulo, particularly the Governor Geraldo Alckmin and Mayor Gilberto Kassab."[35] FIFA's approval of the project to build a new home for Brazil's biggest soccer club by revenue, which originally had a cost estimate of US$ 1.2 billion, was required for São Paulo to host World Cup games.

In June 2011, then sports minister Orlando Silva said in an interview that the federal government would tell tournament organizer FIFA that São Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Brasília are eligible to stage the opening ceremony. FIFA will announce the venue in October. Sanchez said: "I said before that if Corinthians could fulfill all the requirements of FIFA, the opening of the World Cup would be in São Paulo. Corinthians gave the guarantees required by FIFA, so the opening will be in São Paulo."[35] Most of the funding for investment in airports, stadiums, ports and urban transportation before the World Cup will come from the government.[36]

Host cities

Region 1950 2014 Host cities in 1950 and 2014 Host cities in 2014 only
Central-West 0 2 Brasília, Cuiabá
North 0 1 Manaus
Northeast 1 4 Recife Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador
South 2 2 Curitiba, Porto Alegre
Southeast 3 3 Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo

In 1950, host cities of the World Cup were concentrated in the southeast and south.[37] In 2014, the host cities are more evenly distributed. Each host city is the capital of its state. The selection covers all the main regions of Brazil and as a result the tournament will require significant long-distance travel for teams. Brazil is the fifth largest nation in the world by geographical size.[38] Although Brazil straddles the equator, all the proposed match venues are in the southern hemisphere, meaning that the games will be held in the winter period (although most venues for the tournament are situated in the tropics). The cold front comes from Antarctica causing cold weather in the south and central part of the country, and rainy weather in the north. However, the future stadiums are being prepared for these conditions.[39]

FIFA agreed to increase the number of host cities from ten to 12 because of the size of Brazil. "In the very beginning, ten cities were going to be chosen, but thanks to the influence of [CBF president] Ricardo Teixeira and the interest of the whole country, we agreed increasing the number to twelve," said FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Teixeira briefed FIFA members about all 17 candidate cities.[40]

A reported US$1 billion (approx. £650 million) is to be approved for the repair, upgrading and maintenance of Brazilian stadiums. However, aiming to build "state of the art" stadiums and, therefore, increasing their chances to be part of 2014's tournament, some Brazilian states are searching for expertise abroad. Recently delegations from Recife and Porto Alegre, for example, visited the Amsterdam Arena in order to understand the formula which made that stadium highly profitable. Amsterdam Arena, the home of AFC Ajax, has developed and is offering its expertise on the multi-use-purpose stadium concept and management. Amsterdam Arena has been developed to accommodate not only football matches but also concerts and events. Amsterdam Arena is currently developing two projects for Brazil: Recife/Olinda and Porto Alegre (Grêmio).[41]

Security plan

The Brazilian government said authorities will have an efficient security plan in place for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Justice Minister José Eduardo Cardoso said in an interview with Brazilian radio stations that "the 2014 World Cup will be a very safe event." One of the security measures that the government plans to implement is facial recognition software, in which Brazilian police will use futuristic Robocop-style glasses fitted with facial recognition equipment to identify and root out troublemakers at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A small camera fitted to the glasses can capture 400 facial images per second and send them to a central computer database storing up to 13 million faces. Minister Cardoso said the government is developing a public safety plan that will be unveiled "soon." [42]

Secretary José Ricardo Botelho is facing perhaps the most important mission of his life as a civil servant. Heading the newly created Special Secretariat for the Security of Large Events, Botelho has the task of ensuring the safety of Brazilians and tourists during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. To this end, he has developed what might be called an obsession: to integrate the security forces of a country with continental dimensions like Brazil. To prove that the goal will be achieved, he draws on History, his other obsession: "People who have a history know where they want to go."

Integration is the keyword in the Strategic Security Plan prepared for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In addition to ensuring quick responses, the plan provides for an integrated security system that can be left as a legacy to the country. In total, an estimated 45,000 men linked to the security forces will be mobilized, not to mention reinforcements from the Brazilian Armed Forces and Civil Defense. "The country does not need to create anything new, but just to integrate its existing tools," he said. According to José Ricardo Botelho, the databases of federal and state security forces will be integrated with the Interpol database, which means connecting Brazil to 188 countries. In addition, the government has already sent documents to the United States, Germany, England, Holland, South Africa, Poland and Argentina requesting information about terrorists, "troublemakers" and hooligans.

"We want to work proactively rather than defensively; hence the importance of technology. We are linking everything so that when a person fitting this profile applies for a visa, for example, we will already have the first barrier in place. But in the case of a country for which an entry visa is not required, when the person gets to our borders he or she will not be allowed into Brazil. But what if he or she does? We are working with state-of-the-art equipment to identify these people. We do not want them among us," says the commissioner. Technology pervades all discussions of the Security Plan for the World Cup. Teams from the Special Secretariat for the Security of Large Events are visiting he 12 host cities to follow civil works in the stadiums that will be hosting World Cup games. Anti-bomb groups are monitoring the works up to delivery, in order to ensure that no artifacts are hidden inside pillars and foundations.

In addition to security in the stadiums, the Secretariat for the Security of Large Events is keeping a close eye on fan fests. Each host city will have an operational command center with representatives of the police, the Armed Forces, the Fire Department and Civil Defense. There, decision-making promises to be quick. The central command headquarters will be located in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro.[43]

Brazil is training of 53,000 public safety professionals for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The professionals will be be made by the state governments for each individual games venue. They will be trained in three categories: experts, multipliers (who will help to transfer knowledge to other professionals) and operators. The training courses will include "Public safety without homophobia", application of human rights in policing, Brazilian Sign Language and foreign languages.[44]

Anti-fraud plan

On 11 June 2010, the federal government launched a program to protect the tenders for work in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games against the possibility of fraud. The plan, known as Jogando Limpo (Fair Play), includes a series of guidelines and nuggets of advice so that the government institutions, and also the tax authorities and common citizens themselves, may identify and denounce attempts at fraud against the tenders. The program, which was launched by the Ministries for Justice and for Sport, also plans the establishment of a group dedicating to monitoring tenders, to protect them against the threat of fraud and also to avoid delays in construction work.

This initiative, also boosted by the General Financial Controller of the Union (Controladoria Geral da União), also plans a campaign to make the people aware of the need to pay attention to possible fraud and to always denounce the cases. The program emphasizes measures against cartels and possible agreements between competing companies to set prices above market levels, in an attempt to raise the value of the contracts with the state. "Nothing can be worse than someone taking advantage of these two great opportunities to commit crimes. This is a world phenomenon," said the Minister for Justice, Luiz Paulo Barreto, during the ceremony to launch the program.

"The businesspeople could be entering with an agreement on prices, in order to compete in these tenders. This is something that needs to be tackled. We need to promote fair play also in our tenders," Barreto added. "Fair play is something we would expect from a country intending to host events of this size," he added. Barreto also said that, between 2007 and 2010, there were a total of 265 search and seizure warrants issued in Brazil to tackle the crime of cartel formation. In the same period over 100 people were preventively arrested for the same crime, and currently an additional 251 people are being investigated.[45]

Tax breaks

Brazil's federal government announced on 17 May 2010 that it shall be granting tax breaks for the construction and refurbishment of the stadiums for the 2014 World Cup. In a note, the Ministry for the Treasury said that it shall be "granting tax exemption to the stadiums of the World Cup, which shall not need to pay Industrialized Products Tax (Imposto sobre Produtos Industrializados - IPI), Importation Tax (Imposto de Importação - II) or social contributions (PIS/COFINS)."

In addition, the 12 cities that shall be hosting the World Cup matches shall be able to grant exemption from State Value Added Tax (Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços - ICMS) on all operations involving merchandise and other goods for the construction or the refurbishment of the stadiums. "Conditional on the cumulative concession of the benefits involving Importation Tax, IPI and PIS/COFINS, the exemption of ICMS on imports shall only be applicable if the goods do not have a similar product produced nationally," the note informed, adding that this decision shall be made feasible through a Law or Provisional Measure.

In September 2009, the Brazilian Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social - BNDES) opened a credit line of R$ 4.8 billion (approx. €2.7 billion, £ 1.75 billion) for the World Cup stadiums. Each host city shall be able to finance up to R$ 400 million (approx. €225 million, £ 145 million) or 75% of the project, with bank funds.[46]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pot allocations for the Preliminary Draw". FIFA. 2011-07-27. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminarydraw/news/newsid=1480389/index.html. Retrieved 2011-07-28. 
  2. ^ "Argentina, Brazil and Colombia want 2014 World Cup". English.people.com.cn. 2003-01-19. http://english.people.com.cn/200301/19/eng20030119_110398.shtml. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  3. ^ Blatter reiterates wish that the 2014 World Cup be in Brazil
  4. ^ "Brazil confirms bid - Colombia withdraws". Fifa.com. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/releases/newsid=123706.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  5. ^ "Brazil confirmed as 2014 hosts". FIFA. 2007-10-30. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20071031182910/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=625695.html. Retrieved 2007-10-30. 
  6. ^ "Draw for World Cup qualifiers at Marina da Glória in Rio". globoesporte.com. 8 December 2010. http://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/copa-do-mundo/noticia/2010/12/sorteio-das-eliminatorias-da-copa-sera-na-marina-da-gloria-no-rio.html. Retrieved 21 January 2011. 
  7. ^ FIFA.com - Financial report presented, Brazil 2014 slots & host countries decided
  8. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Preliminary Draw". fifa.com. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminarydraw/index.html. Retrieved 12 April 2011. 
  9. ^ "FIFA's Inspection Report" (PDF). http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/mission/fwc2014%5fbrazil%5fbid%5finspection%5freport%5fen%5f24491.pdf. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  10. ^ "FIFA wants to decide which cities will house World Cup 2014", Sportsya
  11. ^ "Mondiali 2014 in dodici città" (in Italian). Tuttomercatoweb. http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/?action=read&id=133956. 
  12. ^ "Sao Paulo dropped for 2014". SBS. 2010-06-17. http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/2014-world-cup/news/1008887/Sao-Paulo-dropped-for-2014. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  13. ^ "Host Cities for Brazil 2014 to be announced in May". FIFA.com (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). 12 March 2009. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/brazil2014/news/newsid=1037180.html. Retrieved 6 June 2009. 
  14. ^ "Cadeiras sao retiradas do Maracanã para conclusao da primeira etapa das obras pra a Copa do Mundo - Chairs are removed from Maracanã concluding the upgrading first step". Noticias.r7.com. 1990-01-06. http://noticias.r7.com/rio-de-janeiro/noticias/cadeiras-sao-retiradas-e-maracana-conclui-primeira-etapa-das-obras-para-a-copa-do-mundo-2014-20101006.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  15. ^ "Brazil 2014" (in Brazilian Portugese). esportes.terra.com.br. 30 May 2011. http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/brasil2014/noticias/0,,OI5156738-EI10545,00-Apos+prelecao+e+reza+obras+do+estadio+corintiano+tem+inicio.html. Retrieved June 7, 2011. 
  16. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Match Schedule". fifa.com. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/52/99/91/2014fwc_matchschedule.pdf. Retrieved 21 October 2011. 
  17. ^ "Journey to Brazil 2014 begins". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/brazil2014/media/newsid=1270440.html#journey+brazil+2014+begins. Retrieved 2010-07-11. 
  18. ^ Shanahan, Mark; Goldstein, Meredith (10 July 2010). "Gisele picks logo, shops with Tom - The Boston Globe". Boston.com. http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2010/07/10/gisele_picks_logo_shops_with_tom/. Retrieved 2010-07-11. 
  19. ^ "Designer critica logo da Copa 2014: "É uma porcaria" - Terra - Esportes". Terramagazine.terra.com.br. http://terramagazine.terra.com.br/interna/0,,OI4553699-EI6583,00-Designer+critica+logo+da+Copa+E+uma+porcaria.html. Retrieved 2010-07-11. 
  20. ^ All Stadiums for Brazil 2014 World Cup
  21. ^ "Brazil Named as World Cup 2014 Host". Brazil.homesgofast.com. http://brazil.homesgofast.com/news/brazil-named-as-world-cup-2014-host-I544/. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  22. ^ Rittner, Daniel; Braga, Paulo Victor (31 August 2009). "Infraero vai gastar R$5 bi em reforma de aeroportos" (in Portuguese). Valor Econômico: pp. A4. 
  23. ^ "Future airports of Brazil". Asiaone.com. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Sports/Story/A1Story20080725-78670.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  24. ^ "Law reduces bureaucracy". V-brazil.com. 2010-06-08. http://www.v-brazil.com/world-cup/2014/law-bureaucracy-airport-building-easier/. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  25. ^ "Copa 2014: Aeromóvel de Porto Alegre começa a sair do papel" (in Portuguese). Portal 2014. 2011-07-22. http://www.portal2014.org.br/noticias/7576/COPA+2014+AEROMOVEL+DE+PORTO+ALEGRE+COMECA+A+SAIR+DO+PAPEL.html. Retrieved 2011-10-15. 
  26. ^ "Secretário diz que abertura da Copa pode render R$ 30 bi a São Paulo" (in Portuguese). Portal 2014. 2011-09-28. http://www.copa2014.org.br/noticias/8112/SECRETARIO+DIZ+QUE+ABERTURA+DA+COPA+PODE+RENDER+R+30+BI+A+SAO+PAULO.html. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
  27. ^ "Edital para ampliação do metrô de Salvador deve sair em 45 dias" (in Portuguese). Portal 2014. 2011-08-18. http://www.copa2014.org.br/noticias/7799/EDITAL+PARA+AMPLIACAO+DO+METRO+DE+SALVADOR+DEVE+SAIR+EM+45+DIAS.html. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
  28. ^ "Copa do Mundo deixará legado para o futuro". O POVO Online. http://www.opovo.com.br/hotsite/copa2014/intervencoes-urbanas.html. Retrieved 2011-10-13. 
  29. ^ "Obra do monotrilho de Manaus é aprovada". Portal 2014. 2011-10-15. http://www.portal2014.org.br/noticias/7684/OBRA+DO+MONOTRILHO+DE+MANAUS+E+APROVADA.html. Retrieved 2011-08-04. 
  30. ^ "Metrô Leve de Brasília - VLT" (in Portuguese). GDF Portal do Cidadão. 2009. http://www.vlt.df.gov.br/. Retrieved 2011-10-12. 
  31. ^ "Governo aceita VLT em Cuiabá e metrô em Salvador" (in Portuguese). Portal 2014. 2011-09-09. http://www.portal2014.org.br/noticias/7969/GOVERNO+ACEITA+VLT+EM+CUIABA+E+METRO+EM+SALVADOR.html. Retrieved 2011-10-13. 
  32. ^ "Fátima Bezerra diz que VLT está garantido com a Copa 2014" (in Portuguese). Nominuto.com. 2009-06-03. http://www.nominuto.com/noticias/politica/fatima-bezerra-diz-que-vlt-esta-garantido-com-a-copa-2014/32942/. Retrieved 2011-10-16. 
  33. ^ "Brazil-Arab news Agency - World Cup". .anba.com.br. http://www2.anba.com.br/noticia_esportes.kmf?cod=8705153. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  34. ^ nosso time. "Rio and the final match of 2014 FIFA World Cup". Copa2014.org.br. http://www.copa2014.org.br/noticias/296/OS+DESAFIOS+DO+RIO+DE+JANEIRO+PARA+A+COPA+2014.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  35. ^ a b "Sao Paulo Hopes of Hosting 2014 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony Boosted". Sportconnect. 2011-07-14. http://www.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7512:sao-paulo-hopes-of-hosting-2014-fifa-world-cup-opening-ceremony-boosted&catid=23:stadia--venues-arena-infrastructure&Itemid=32. Retrieved 2011-10-22. 
  36. ^ website group (2011-07-14). "Sao Paulo Hopes of Hosting 2014 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony Boosted". Sportconnect. http://www.isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7512:sao-paulo-hopes-of-hosting-2014-fifa-world-cup-opening-ceremony-boosted&catid=23:stadia--venues-arena-infrastructure&Itemid=32. Retrieved 2011-10-22. 
  37. ^ dom, 31/05/09. "Host cities in 1950 FIFA World Cup". Colunas.globoesporte.com. http://colunas.globoesporte.com/memoriaec/2009/05/31/sedes-da-copa-de-1950-voltam-no-mundial-de-2014/. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  38. ^ Selection - Regions of Brazil
  39. ^ "Winter in Brazil during the FIFA World Cup". Brcactaceae.org. http://www.brcactaceae.org/clima.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  40. ^ "Host cities - World Cup". BBC News. 2009-05-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8075256.stm. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  41. ^ "Brazil Insight - Dutch and English website". Brazilinsight.nl. http://www.brazilinsight.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1001&Itemid=2. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  42. ^ Steven McLoud (2011/10/13). "Brazil Guarantees Efficient Security Plan for 2014 FIFA World Cup". Diálogo. http://www.dialogo-americas.com/en_GB/articles/rmisa/features/sports/2011/10/13/feature-ex-2593. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  43. ^ our team. "ntegration is the keyword in the Strategic Security Plan". World Cup Portal. http://www.copa2014.gov.br/noticia/integration-keyword-strategic-security-plan?language=en. Retrieved 2011-10-21. 
  44. ^ Brazilian police without homophobia (Portuguese)
  45. ^ our team. "Anto-fraud plan in Brazil". Copa2014.org.br. http://www.copa2014.org.br/en/news/3784/GOVERNMENT+LAUNCHES+ANTIFRAUD+PLAN+FOR+WORLD+CUP+AND+OLYMPIC+GAMES.html. Retrieved 2011-10-09. 
  46. ^ "Brazil shall grant tax breaks for 2014 stadiums". Portal 2014. 2010-05-18. http://www.copa2014.org.br/en/news/3028/BRAZIL+SHALL+GRANT+TAX+BREAKS+FOR+2014+STADIUMS.html. Retrieved 2007-10-30. 

External links