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Stadium delays, worker deaths and social unrest has turned Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup into a public relations nightmare.
So, who’s to blame for the current situation? Is it FIFA?
The governing body has made themselves the ideal scapegoat after years of alleged corruption and baffling decisions. Then there’s the obvious fact that they handed Brazil the hosting rights for the World Cup back in 2007.
Following protests at the Confederations Cup last year over the costs to stage the tournament, president Sepp Blatter admitted that Brazil might have been the wrong choice. He said, “If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights.”
Strikes, murders, and public unease in the last few days alone proves that he was right to be concerned. It can also be argued that FIFA should not have been so lenient in extending deadlines for stadium completions.
The last stadium was expected to be finished in December last year but now some, such as Sao Paolo’s Corinthians Arena, won’t even be properly completed until after the World Cup. FIFA have since warned Russia, hosts of the 2018 World Cup, that they will not tolerate similar delays in the future.
General secretary Jérôme Valcke said that Russia should not use Brazil’s dallying as a “point of reference” and hoped they would “respect the timings”. Despite all of FIFA’s wrongdoings in the past, it would be wrong to blame them for Brazil’s plight.
Part of the problem surely lies with the tournament’s organisers. Not only have they failed to adhere to FIFA’s deadlines, they are also set to spend about $11 billion overall on the World Cup – a figure that is much higher than originally expected. Then there are the deaths of construction workers – eight of them in total.
It’s been reported that some of these deaths have come in the rush to complete the stadiums.
Brazilian icon Pele, a three-time World Cup winner, was scathing of his nation’s incompetence. He described the situation as “unacceptable” and a “disgrace”. Nonetheless, he also mentioned the main obstacle that is standing in front of a successful World Cup is ongoing corruption.
Protests are aimed at showing the government that Brazilians care more about investing in schools, hospitals, and better living conditions that hosting the World Cup.
They are also concerned about the issue of stolen money, as “evil people”, in Pele’s own words, have managed to gain control of state funds through dodgy stadium contracts.
Current president Dilma Rousseff’s role in the chaos has cut her approval rating and may well see her ousted at the next elections after she appeared to be invincible.
The upcoming World Cup could be one of the best in recent memory solely in terms of football. Off the pitch, though, it has already left several lasting images that not even Brazil’s scintillating football will be able to overcome.
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