Brazil last hosted the World Cup in 1950, where they finished runners-up. However since then, the team has excelled winning 5 World Cups and is the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as hosting the 2016 Olympic Games. The Brazilian economy is a thriving centrepiece at the moment and is the perfect location for the biggest tournament in football this summer.
But that's not WHY we're interested in it. Oh NO! Here are the REAL reasons why Brazil is the perfect place to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
9. The passion!
Football is undeniably the most popular sport in Brazil and boy are they good at it! Nicknamed Canarinho (Little Canary) and A Seleção (The Selection), Brazil has won the World Cup and incredible 5 times, making them the most successful national team in the beautiful game. You'll be hard pushed to find a Brazilian man or woman who doesn't share that universal passion for the Pentacampeões (Five Time Champions).
8. Exciting and unique cities.
Brazil is blessed with a number of exciting cities, all ordained with their own unique taste of atmosphere, culture and entertainment. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasilia, Porto Alegre and Salvador to name just a few.
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7. The Samba!
Everyone lucky enough to visit Brazil this summer should participate in the lively, rhythmic dance! It's infectious, you'll see...
6. Cheap beer.
What more can you ask for? The Brazilians do enjoy a drink and beer is cheap! Drinking cool beers in the sun, watching football and basking in the rich culture of South America - asking for anything else would be greedy!
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5. The weather! (obviously)
Home to parts of the Amazon, Brazil's equatorial climate can reach as high as 40 °C (104 °F)! Soak up that sun, work on your tan and take a dip in the beautiful South Atlantic Ocean to cool yourself!
4. Legends of the game.
Brazil has created some of the world's greatest ever players, and their fluid attacking style of play is always a joy to behold. They're too hard to dislike, and as hosts they are definitely given an added boost as favourites to claim this year's FIFA World Cup, a feat that coach Luiz Felipe Scolari will be hoping to achieve. Pelé is Brazil's highest ever goalscorer with 77 goals, while Cafu is the highest capped player with 144 appearances in the Verde-Amarela (Green and Yellow). Current and past legends of the game include Ronaldinho, Zico, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Romário, Jairzinho and Zizinho. The list is endless.
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3. The stadiums.
Brazil hosts some of the finest stadiums in the world with their national league drawing in huge attendances every week! The hosts Brazil will open the FIFA World Cup 2014 against Croatia in São Paulo's Arena Corinthians and Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium will host the final on 31st July. The Maracanã Stadium was built and served as the flagship for the 1950 World Cup and provided the platform for just under 200,000 spectators for the opening game of the campaign, Brazil v Uruguay which the hosts lost 2-1. However the stadium has been totally revamped since Brazil was unveiled as the host of the 2014 World Cup and has a capacity just shy of 80,000, making it the largest stadium in South America.
2. Beaches.
The Brazilian equivalent of the expression "just my cup of tea" is "é minha praia" ("that's my beach") which provides you with a good insight into the country's cultural values. From Recife to Porto Alegre, and everywhere in between, Brazil hosts some of the most whitest, sandiest, gorgeous beaches known to man. Check out Visit Brasil and Twitter Brasil to find out more information before your travels!
1. Brazilian girls.
The girls, my God, the girls! If there's TWO things that Brazil is universally infamous for it is football and women! Some of the top models in Brazil will be at the World Cup cheering on the Pentacampeões, including Gisele Bundchen, Ana Beatriz Barros, Alessandra Ambroiso, Adriana Lima and Camila Alves. I won't need to add much more to this passage to twist your arm into buying a flight to Brazil this summer!
