The run-up to the World Cup in Brazil has brought nothing but bad publicity on both the Brazilian government and FIFA. In the weeks leading to this day, where Brazil will play Croatia to open the month-long games, there have been protests by the dozens, all of which lamented the amount of money that went into the construction of public transport facilities and stadia at the expense of public health care and education. In total, approximately $14 billion has been spent on the World Cup-related projects, and not all of them are finished as opening day looms.
The areas around the stadia look more like a fortified embassy in a war-torn country than a sports venue: from anti-air tanks to helicopters to rapid response teams to American drones patrolling the skies, the Brazilian government is holding out no expense to ensure that the games occur without a hitch.
In a surprise move, FIFA President Sepp Blatter will not make a speech before the opening game in the midst of all the scandals and allegations of corruption that have plagued FIFA, such as their claim that the profits from ticket sales are exempt from tax. The organization is not unfamiliar with backlash, as during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, President Blatter was droned out by the sound of whistles from the crowd.
Scheduled at the same time as the first match are protests across the country, marching against the excessive spending and use of taxpayer dollars to fund the World Cup when promises were made that no taxpayer money would be used.
This is the most expensive World Cup to date, with an estimated $15 to $20 billion spent on infrastructure upgrades and stadia construction. The stadia are likely to come at net losses, considering that they will remain largely unused after the World Cup is finished. Current support for the World Cup among the Brazilian populace sits at 50%, or possibly even lower.
But, the teams have arrived, and the tourists with them, all to see the majesty that captivates the world every four years. This will surely be the grandest World Cup in years, considering that it's taking place in the largest football nation in the world. The question remains, however: what happens when the excitement fades, the tourists leave, and the country is once more at status quo?
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