Brazil ready to host 2014 World Cup - despite concerns

Jose has sent his three sons - aged 14,12 and 11 - to a football school, saying that "this costs me one fifth of my monthly income but hopfelly one will make it into the Selecao for the World Cup."

   Arruda, meanwhile, has ordered the World Cup to be taught at all schools in the state of Brasilia to "make the young people feel the importance of the tournament for our country."

   Brazil is the only candidate and has the nod from an inspection team of the ruling body FIFA ahead of the final presentation before FIFA on Tuesday and the deciding vote by the body's executive commission later that day.

 Brazil has won the World Cup a record five times and produced some of the best footballers ever, such as Pele, Garrincha, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Kaka.

 But the South American country has hosted the prestigious event only once before, in 1950. To make things worse, Uruguay beat the hosts 2-1 in that year in Rio's Maracana stadium to lift the trophy.

 The 2014 World Cup will be a matter of pride on the playing field, but off it as well.

 FIFA inspectors, who visited Brazil in late August, have not withheld concerns in areas such as security. The inspectors insisted that local organisers must work closely together with FIFA in order to meet the high demands in every aspect of the tournament.

 "The standards and demands of the World Cup will far surpass those of any other event staged in the history of Brazil," said the inspectors' report which was published on Thursday.

 But the inspectors also noted that "Brazil is the appropriate choice to host the 2014 World Cup.

 "It is evident that Brazil has the richest tradition of footballing excellence in the world ... Brazil has shown the potential and demonstrated itself to be more than capable of hosting an exceptional World Cup," the report said.

 No wonder that Brazil's football supremo Ricardo Teixeira has urged a big national effort once the World Cup is secured.

 "It is not only about winning on October 30. If we embarrass ourselves before 2014 we can be stripped of the World Cup again," said Teixeira.

 The CBF president cited the example of Colombia, which was elected to host the 1986 edition but then handed back the event because it was unable to meet the high FIFA requirements. The event was played in Mexico.

 The presentation Tuesday at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland will see an all-star team ranging from Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to football legend Romario and popular novelist Paulo Coelho.

 Da Silva said the World Cup will raise the image of Brazil just like Germany's image got a massive boost from its hosting of the 2006 edition.

 But the renowned sports journalist Juca Kfouri warned that Brail would not be capable to provide state of the art facilities like the Germans did last year. Brazil bids with 18 stadiums, with 14 of those requiring renovation and four to be built.

 Kfouri warned that the budget - which like transportation of accommodation got good marks from FIFA - could skyrocket like that for the Panamerican Games earlier this year in Rio, from an original 400 million Real to around 4 billion Real (1.6 billion euros).

 Former star player Socrates is also critical, saying "I would not invest into the World Cup as a businessman." Ex-coach Wanderley Luxemburgo said that "many Brazilians can't understand how the World Cup can take place in a country in which the population suffers from hunger."

   The financial side, which includes corruption, is not the only concern. Sociologist Mauricio Murad names mounting violence and crime in the country as another problem.

 But Murad also conceded that the national passion for football will "generate a collective mobilization which will also attract investors."

   After all, Brazilians are not only planning celebrations for Tuesday but are also looking ahead at the time of the tournament.

 "I will definitely not work during the World Cup. If I am not allowed to take time off I will quit my job," insisted one policeman in Rio, speaking on the condition of anonymity.By Emilio Rappold, dpa