World Cup 2014
In 2014, Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup for the second time. The first was in 1950, which was also the first Cup since 1938 (the 1942 and 1946 tournaments were cancelled due to World War II). In that tournament, Uruguay defeated Brazil 2-1 in a historic upset that is known today as Maracanazo, “The Maracano Blow,” after the name of the stadium.Brazil will have had 54 years to prepare for its second hosting duty, which bodes well for both the country and for soccer fans around the world. 12 cities will host gamestheir names and stadiums are listed below:1.Belo Horizonte Mineiro, cap. 69,9502.Brasilia Estdio Nacional de Braslia, cap. 71,5003.CuiabaArena Pantanal, cap. 42,500 (new stadium)4.CuritibaArena da Baixada, cap. 41,3755.Fortaleza Castelo, cap. 66,7006.ManausArena da Amaznia, cap. 50,000 (new stadium)7.NatalArena das Dunas, cap. Undecided8.Porto Alegre– Estdio Beira-Rio, cap. 62,0009.RecifeCidade da Copa, cap. Undecided10.Rio de JaneiroMaracan, cap. 76,52511.SalvadorBahia Arena, cap. 55,000 (new stadium)12.So PauloNew Corinthians Stadium, cap. 48,000 (new stadium)You might notice that Maracan is once again on the list of stadiums. Not only that, it will again be the venue for the final match. You can be sure that Brazil plans on being there once again, and hopefully walking away with the trophy this time.A Brazilian agency called “Africa” came up with the logo for the tournament, which is known as “Inspiration.” Three hands intertwine to create the signature World Cup trophy in the colors of the Brazilian flag. The design was chosen from a pool of 25 by a seven-person panel, consisting of the Brazilian Football Confederation chairman Ricardo Teixeira, FIFA executive secretary Jrme Valcke, designer Hans Donner, architect Oscar Niemeyer, singer Ivete Sangalo, writer Paulo Coelho, and supermodel Gisele Bundchen.Currently, an initial figure of 1.8 billion American has been set aside for setting up the tournament, although that number will certainly grow. The World Cup, known for its passion and excitement, demands no less from its host. It’s certain that Brazil will once again provide an exciting chapter in the continuing soccer saga, and the only downside is that fans have so long to wait. After the 2014 Cup, the 2018 tournament will take place in Russia for the first time. Then, in 2022, the tournament will be held in Qatar.