When the World Cup kicks off Thursday, the eyes of the world will be on Brazil. Not just on the national team, the record five-time champions expected to make it six, but on the entire country itself, which has spent more than $11 billion in public funds for the most expensive and controversial World Cup ever.
From corruption to unfinished stadiums, striking workers to street protests, worries about horrible travel and hellish weather, it’s hard to picture a host with more concerns entering a World Cup. And it’s tough to imagine a team shouldering a bigger burden than A Seleção — the morale of an entire nation.
“It isn’t just a game in Brazil; it’s a religion,’’ said Ian Darke, ESPN’s lead World Cup play-by-play commentator. “Bigger than big: That’s football in Brazil.
“They played under that kind of pressure in the Confederations Cup last year and were brilliant and won the tournament … but this will be cranked up ten‑fold.’’
Throw on at least another zero.
The last time Brazil hosted the World Cup in 1950, needing just a tie in the finale against Uruguay to win the title, the team suffered a loss in the Maracana so crushing a word was coined for it (the Maracanazo), and Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues wrote “Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950.’’
Perspective aside, Brazil has waited 64 years to be on the world stage with a shot at redemption. Is it a coincidence the July 13 final is in that same stadium?
That’s what the government is counting on, a Cup to mollify the protesting proletariat. The people have been protesting in several cities since last year over World Cup spending — $4 billion just on stadiums — instead of fixing Brazil’s poor education, health, infrastructure and security systems.
“FIFA got what it came for: money,’’ ex-Brazilan great Romario told the New York Times. “Things like transportation that affect the public after the tournament is over? They don’t care. They don’t care about what is going to be left behind.’’
Or the people left behind. Police clashed with demonstrators last month in Sao Paulo, shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors who waved signs like “less money for the Cup and more for housing.”
They fired more tear gas at striking metro workers in Sao Paulo on Monday. The cops in several cities went on strike themselves, though they’re back now. The teachers, however, are not, still striking in Rio de Janeiro and blocking streets.
Neymar, the face of the Brazilian team, said he’ll play in the protestors’ honor, with teammate Hulk adding, “After seeing the people on the streets claiming for improvements, it makes me feel like joining them. They’re doing the right thing.”
It’s hardly the image Brazilian officials wanted the eyes of the world to see.
Three of the 12 stadiums aren’t finished, and the roof of the Arena Sao Paulo won’t be done for Thursday’s opener after two workers died when a crane collapsed. Another worker died in March while installing temporary seats. The $900 million spent on the Itaquerao — all on the taxpayers’ dime — and $275 million in price-gouging disgusted even Brazil’s favorite son.
“It’s clear that politically speaking, the money spent to build the stadiums was a lot,’’ Pele told USA Today, “and in some cases was more than it should have been.”
And politics will end up hurting play on the field. Critics say Brazil’s insistence on a dozen sites scattered across the biggest country to host the World Cup — instead of the eight FIFA wanted — was to buy off political opponents and reward supporters of the ruling Workers Party. What it did was create travel nightmares.
The strike has thrown Sao Paulo’s already-bad traffic into chaos. Now drop the World Cup into this mess, with the most controversial site being Manaus, 1,677 miles away in the Amazon rain forest.
The distance from any major cities and the sweltering heat made it the one site every team wanted to avoid: Naturally, the US plays Portugal there on June 22, flying almost 9,000 miles just for the three group games after logging only 192 by bus for four tilts in South Africa.
“Manaus is typical of Brazil. We have many poor people. We fight against this. I’m sure we’ll present a decent city, friendly people,’’ Manaus mayor Arthur Virgilio Neto said last week, downplaying worries about crime. “I spent some time in New York before [Rudy] Giuliani. It was terrible. We’re trying to follow his steps.’’
The mayor practically begged tourists to come enjoy his city’s beauty, hotels and food. He knows the eyes of the world will be on Brazil — not just the team, but his country.