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FIFA will fire the starting gun on Saturday for the build-up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with the qualifying draw in Rio. But lingering worries over security and the country’s infrastructure continue to occupy the minds of organisers.
Several of the 12 venues, including the mythical Maracana in Rio, remain behind schedule on construction or renovation and/or over budget.
A mooted new venue in Natal in the north east of the huge country of almost 200 million people has yet to see the light of day and another in Minas Gerais state in the south east is behind schedule owing to worker protests.
“If work goes on at its current rate, when we have the Confederations Cup a year before the World Cup, there won’t be matches in Rio and Sao Paulo – the World Cup venues won’t be ready,” FIFA president Sepp Blatter fretted in March.
Organisers in Rio say they believe the Maracana will finally be spick and span in time – but only after renovations costing some $US625 million ($A577.85 million).
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff insists the construction program “will be duly completed on time,” in the words of her Ministry of Sports assessor Alcino Rocha.
But above and beyond the stadium costs, further associated public funds of public investment are still required to the tune of an estimated $US11.4 billion ($A10.54 billion).
Much of that will go on improving the road network, boosting hotel capacity, reinforcing security, modernising telecommunications systems and also improving air traffic capacity with the current network already full to bursting point.
A major influx of tourism on a nationwide scale would likely cause the system to collapse, causing chaos to the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of fans.
“During June and July 2014, the Cup will generate an additional flow of some 2.25 million passengers through Brazilian airports,” according to a report from the Getulio Vargas Foundation and consultancy Ernst & Young Terco.
That influx corresponds only to median passenger numbers for the summer of 2009, meaning extra capacity is sorely needed.
Official reports warn that of 13 airports being expanded in time for the Copa to serve the 12 venues, nine will not be completed on time.
“One cannot see this issue just in terms of the Cup – there has to be planning so that the investments can be signed off and approved,” Marcos Nicolas, executive director of Ernst & Young Terco, told AFP.
The government has already launched plans to privatise several major airports, including Guarulhos, serving Sao Paulo, Viracopos (Campinas) and Brasilia.
Although officials say things are coming together, respected sports journalist Celso Unzelte warns that the country’s “structural problems won’t get resolved in three years”.
Unzelte indicated: “The event will go ahead as FIFA dropped the level of its demands” for the hosting of the Cup.
And Unzelte added that, despite former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva insisting the country would pull it off, Brazil in reality “cannot aspire to host the best World Cup in history,” even as it strains to modernise as fast as possible to meet expectations.
Former star Romario agrees.
“Only Jesus can get Brazil to host the best ever World Cup. If he shows up in three years time, then it will be possible.”
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