I will try to compile information on the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, separated by each of the host cities, showcasing their respective arenas.
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The passion for soccer seems to be one of the few universal national traits in Brazil. Social, political and economical differences, so stark in the country's everyday life, become blurred when the green-yellow team steps on the field and sings the national anthem. Somehow, the Brazilian nation sees itself as whole only during the FIFA World Cup.
For Brazil, the World Cup of 2014 represents an opportunity to achieve a modernization leap and show the world not only its organizational capacities, but also its economic strength to attract investments and the many attractions that could transform the country into one of the main tourist destinations in the world in the near future.
With the preparations for the 2014 World Cup, Brazilian state capitals are in a rush to ready their arenas. But even stronger than the competition among the cities is the competition among teams who plan to renovate existing stadiums or build new ones in time to be designated as official World Cup arenas.
Brazil Data
•Total Surface: 8.514.876 km2
•Length of Coastline: 10.959 km (IBGE)
•Population: 193 million inhabitants (IBGE, 2008)
•Number of Municipalities: 5.507 (IBGE, 2000)
Soccer Stats
•Clubs: 29.208
•Registered players: 2,1 million
•Non-registered players: 11,2 million
•State Championships: 27
•Professional games: 5,000 a year
•Annual competitions: over 100
•Registered referees: 61
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Starting from the Southernmost city, Porto Algre will be the first to be featured:
Porto Alegre
Population (2008)
- Municipality 1,436,123 (10th in Brazil)
- Density 2,815.6/km2 (7,292.4/sq mi)
- Metro 4,063,886
Arena: Beira-Rio
Capacity: 65,000
Investment: USD 130 million
[img]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/gutooo/copa%202014/beira%20rio/giganteparasempre02.jpg/img]
Next to follow: Curitiba.