As the stage is set for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, we give you a sneak preview of what it has to offer.
The world’s biggest sporting spectacle, the FIFA World Cup, is back. And this time around, it is bigger than ever.
Organised by FIFA, the international governing body of football, and hosted by the five-time champion Brazil, the World Cup is a mammoth competition whose qualifying rounds saw 208 countries battling it out to reach the final stages, and now more than two billion people will watch 32 nations as they compete to claim the title. The tournament officially kicks off on June 12, with 64 games to be played over a month in 12 different cities. Some 350,000 football fans will descend onto the Brazilian stadiums to watch the games live. Brazil has spent a whopping $3.5 billion on renovations and construction, out of which $600 million have gone into upgrading the showpiece Maracana Stadium that will host the final. The host country, however, has struggled to get the infrastructure up and running on time. As a result, a number of high-end airport and road projects were terminated but this hasn’t dampened the fans’ spirits. As the hype surrounding this World Cup has gained momentum, match ticket prices, lodging costs and airfare have also soared, with a domestic flight costing up to $1,000 and an average hotel room going for $460.
Not surprisingly, Brazil is being touted as a favourite, given their home advantage and the fact that no European team has ever won the World Cup in South America. They will be hoping to banish the painful memories of the 1950 World Cup final, when they lost to Uruguay on home turf, traumatising an entire generation. Yet, the current champions Spain, dark horses Germany, along with the Netherlands, Portugal, Uruguay, Argentina and Belgium cannot be ruled out for staking a claim to the glittering gold trophy. After Brazil, which won five out of the 19 world championships held so far, the other titles are divided between these seven nations.
This World Cup also promises plenty of thrilling encounters to look out for; the greatest of them could be a possible showdown between Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo and his arch-nemesis Argentinian skipper Lionel Messi. There is no dearth of quality players in each squad, and for team England, this may be the first time they approach the World Cup finals without immense pressure riding on their backs. Germany and The Netherlands are also strong contenders and have a high probability of reaching the latter stages of the tournament. But the tough South American sides have a distinct advantage of home support, which is surely going to benefit teams like Uruguay and Argentina.
With huge investments, tough play-offs and staggering fan hype, the 2014 FIFA World Cup is sure to be a treat for football fans.
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Shahrukh Sohail is the chief editor of FootballPakistan.com, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UNODC Global Youth Initiative and an aspiring entrepreneur. He tweets @ShahrukhSohail7
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 8th, 2014.
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