Brazil: see you there in 2014!
This is the end. The South Africa World Cup was sensational and made history. After all it was the first time that the African continent hosted an event of this magnitude. Congrats for South Africa!
I want to welcome Spain and the Spanish people for becoming the latest member of the World Cup Champions' elite club. In a game where both goalkeepers led their teams up to 116th minute with fantastic defences. Everything could have happened. Both teams deserved to win, because of their history in World Cups, their players and their fans. ARRIBA ESPANA!!! CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO!!!
And Germany ended up with the 3rd place after a 3-2 victory over the Uruguayan warriors. Again, both teams deserved the victory. The game wasn't decided up to the 91st minute when Diego Forlan hit the crossbar. Sensational!
While the Spaniards will celebrate for a while, the rest of football fans, already missing the tournament, will start thinking about the next World Cup in Brazil. I have been asked to comment on how Brazil is doing to get set for the 20th football showcase edition.
1. Stadiums: There are a lot of stadiums in Brazil, but none of them actually meet FIFA's standards. For that reason most of the stadiums will be built from the scratch (few of them will be renovated). The deadline is short, only 4 years, however couple of them needs to be fully operational by 2013 for the Confederation Cup.
2. Investments: Some analysts say that the total investment will reach US$ 10 billion. This budget, besides the construction of new stadiums, includes the renovation and expansion of airports, public transportation, hotels and all the necessary structure to host an event like World Cup and having in mind that Brazil will also host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
3. Economics: Brazil is in the middle of a splendid economic period, growing between 5 to 7% per year. This economic growth is responsible for raising the quality of life of several Brazilian families (50% of the families are considered medium class now). The expectation is that the growth will persist for at least a decade part due to the investments for World Cup and Olympic games.
4. Violence:The violence is a problem that is present among megalopolis such as Sao Paulo where more than 17 million inhabitants live. A good chunk of the budget is reserved to improve safety procedures and upgrade policing.
5. Party: Oh yeah! There will be parties! Lots of them, for sure!
The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil logotype was officially released, see the video below:
If you are willing to go to Brazil in 2014, make sure to start planning your trip since now, especially if you intend to stay in Rio de Janeiro. If you are a “city person”, then Sao Paulo is your “Brazilian Toronto” but 5x bigger. If you like forest and beaches, you have to go to North and Northeast of Brazil, to Manaus (Amazon forest) and Recife, which will host some games.
Preparations have started already, an initial budget was approved by the Government and for sure Brazilians will receive fans from around the planet with open arms such as the Corcovado Christ and will do their best to make the next World Cup an unforgettable experience for everyone.
See you there in 2014!
PS – if you are interested to know more details about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, check these links:
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