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It’s less than a fortnight before the World Cup kicks off. When Brazil was awarded the event in 2007, the country and millions of football aficionados were ecstatic – unlike the Qatar 2022 decision.
The “Cup of Cups” and Rio Olympics was the kickstart the country needed to present itself on the world stage as a serious first world country.
The five World Cup wins of the Seleção are arguably the greatest source of national pride among the 200 million population.
Given the nation’s laid back lifestyle, it was always going to be an uphill battle for organisers, but many felt it would be a carnival only this time it would be done wearing a suit.
Those casual assumptions have taken a beating in the last 12 months, with delays to stadiums and street protests, including the largest in a generation during last June’s Confederations Cup.
As have most, I shrugged this off as business as usual for a major sporting event, but it has since become apparent that Brazil is simply not ready.
It was announced that the roof of the stadium hosting the World Cup opener on June 12 in Brazil will not be finished. In all, three stadiums weren’t finished by the one-month countdown to the worldwide football tournament as Brazil continues to miss major deadlines.
On top of this is the continuing ether of violence. In Rio, the number of fatalities in conflict with the police rose by 69 per cent from 2013 to 2014 and this month 80 per cent of Brazilians admitted they are afraid of being tortured by their own police on arrest.
Brazilians feel most unsafe in the hands of authorities, almost twice the international average of 44 per cent. The areas worst affected are the favelas where it’s becoming increasingly clear that the police pacification units are a PR move, to hide rather than to solve the violence. In all there will be 170,000 security personnel working across the country – a 22 per cent rise form the South Africa World Cup in 2010.
“What we are seeing in Brazil is an aggravation of ordinary living conditions as cities prepare for the World Cup,” professor Christopher Gaffney of Fluminense Federal University said.
“Violence is a part of daily life, to assume that this will go away because of the World Cup is irresponsible and naive.”
The violence has permeated into football. More people perish in stadium violence and supporter clashes in Brazil than in any other country – 30 in 2013 – and players are not safe either. This was evident in the attack last month on the Corinthians training camp in São Paulo by 100 angry fans who assaulted the team, with some throttled. This is the very same training facility Iran will use during the World Cup. Even the Brazil squad’s bus was attacked this week by protesters, such is their disdain for the World Cup.
Brazilian auditors found that $500 million of the World Cup budget has disappeared as receipts show multiple charges for the same service or overpayments on white elephants such as the Arena da Amazônia in Manaus, where three people have died preparing the stadium. With no major domestic league teams in the city, the venue is thought unlikely to be filled again for football.
Initially public protests had nothing to do with football. Until last June, most were small, relatively peaceful and focused on single issues such as bus fares, healthcare, evictions and corruption. But FIFA’s mega-events have become a lightning rod for these and many other issues.
“Não vai ter Copa!” (No World Cup) is now a popular chant at almost every rally, which is a real worry in a country where Recife’s state of Pernambuco police held the government ransom by going on strike this month, demanding a 50 per cent pay hike.
“The country can fill up with tourists and receive all the benefits and Brazil’s own people are spoiling the party,” said Brazil legend Pele.
Even King Pele, the Brazilian football icon, has lost a great deal of respect among the public for an approach that has come across as blind defence of his many corporate sponsors.
However, you have to argue that he may have a point. Sure, people need to know about the plight of the people, but at what cost? Brazil needs the World Cup to be a success. Fail and so do the fortunes of the very people that are protesting.
“This is a moment of unrest and uncertainty – both in terms of the cup and also society,” 1970 World Cup winner and social commentator Tostão said.
“The cup will happen. That’s certain. But what is success? For the Brazilian people, the cup has meant large public spending, limited lasting infrastructure and a lack of social projects, but for the government a successful cup means something completely different. We’re all in doubt right now because we just don’t know what’s going to happen during the cup.”
I just hope that while international visitors drink caipirinhas and watch the football, the people of Brazil are not forgotten.
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