Introduction
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) world cup is an event of a global inclination. This is a major sporting event that has the highest number of spectators in the world. It is a football competition that is contested by national football teams of men (Wong, 2009).
The nations that participate in this event are members of FIFA. The World Cup is classified as one of the biggest events in the world (Clark, 2008). It is also one of the longest international events in the world whose magnitude has been growing with time from the time the event was incepted. The event has been taking place for 82 years since its inception back in the year 1930 (Lisi, 2011).
FIFA is the overall organization that governs football in the world. The federation does the overall administration of the world cup soccer event. The first world cup was held in the year 1930. From then, the event was scheduled to be taking place after every four years. The event has been taking place except for two seasons that are the 1942 world cup and the 1946 event that did not take place due to the Second World War which was going on that time (Stroud and Hein, 2009).
The number of participating teams has been increasing from the inception time. The number of teams that do participate in the sport has been standardized at 32. The 32 teams come from all the five continents of the globe. World cup football matches are held in different venues – stadiums within the hosting nation(s).
The event takes duration of a month. However there are a lot of events that precede and come after the event. A total of 19 world events have taken place and hosted by different countries with a number of countries having hosted the event more than once (Stroud and Hein, 2010).
The 2014 world cup final will be the twentieth world cup since the inception of the event. The football matches will be played in different stadiums across different cities in Brazil.
The cities include Brasilia and Cuiaba which lie in the central west region of the country, Manaus that is in the North region, Fortazela, Natal and Salvador that are found in the Northeast region of Brazil, Curitiba, Porto and Porto Alegre in the South region of the country and Belo Hoerizonte, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo that are found in the Northeast region of the country (Thorpe and Thorpe, 2010).
Generally, Brazil is a football loving nation. Brazil is the best performer in the world cup competition having won the world cup trophy 5 times which is the highest number of times that a country has won the trophy in the history of the tournament. The country is the only country to have qualified to and participated in all the world cup tournaments since the world cup event was initiated in 1930.
Brazil is home to great football in the world. All good football and footballing skills are linked to the country. It has the best talents when it comes to football. Football us the most liked sport in Brazil with the highest number of fans in comparison to other sports (Woods, 2010).
Majority of the most talented players come from Brazil. These players include Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima Comonly known as Ronaldo, Ronaldo de Assis Moreira commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaucho, Romario de Souza Faria commonly known as Romario among many others other talented players who are playing in different leading football leagues in the world.
Brazil hosted the world cup event of 1950 (St, 2010). A number of cities that hosted the event are still among the potential cities to host the event in the year 2014. The 2014 event cannot in anyway compared to the 1950 world cup event because the 1950 event had less number of participating teams. The 1950 event had only thirteen participating teams and a total of twenty two games to be played in only six arenas.
The 2014 world cup will have a total of 32 participating teams and a total of 64 football matches that will be played in a potential eleven locations. However from the time the country hosted the 1950 world cup, there are many economic developments which includes a lot of infrastructure development. This has raised the capacity of Brazil and put it in a better place to host the world cup event (St, 2010).
Conception of the Bid
The FIFA world cup is an event of a big magnitude that is held in different countries across the world. The countries that do host the event are supported by FIFA though most of the initiatives are done by the hosting nation. I am making a bid for Brazil to host the event in the year 2014. I am the leader of an event administration and organizing firm. The government has contracted my company to my company to make a bid for the country for hosting the event.
Therefore the whole responsibility of researching and making an analysis of the country is done by my company in order to make a report (bid) for the country to host the world cup. The bid will then be presented to the government which will forward it to FIFA for assessment in comparison with other bids from different countries that have interests of hosting the event.
This is a one month event which entails a lot of logistical issues because of the large attendance which is attracted by such an event as it was witnessed in the last world cup final event in South Africa where more than one million foreigners attended the event.
Therefore the responsibility that is upon my company is carrying out a thorough assessment of Brazil as a country in terms of many aspects that include infrastructure which includes the transport infrastructure and the sporting infrastructure in terms of the sporting grounds and other sporting facilities, the security, the hospitality industry that is important because of the high number of guests among many other aspects.
All the research that will be carried out will bring out the potential of the country in terms of the structure that is already in place and the ongoing infrastructural projects as to put the country in a better place to host the event. Therefore a comprehensive quantitative as well as the qualitative study will be done in the general country and more emphasis will be put on the cities that have the potential of hosting the event. A comprehensive report will then be compiled compile that will reflect the picture of the readiness of Brazil to host world cup event.
Findings: The Political and Economic Factors of Brazil
Political Factors of Brazil
Brazil covers an area whose size is approximated to be 8.5 million square kilometers. The size of the country almost doubles the size occupied by European Union states. The country has a very large population. The population of the country is approximated to be 200 million people. It is the 11th most populated country in the world (Forest, 2012).
Brazil has a democratic system of governance. The country has consolidated institutions of governance that have been behind sound administration and political stability. Brazil has good political relations with other countries. It has never involved itself in interstate war since the times of the Second World War (Organization for Economic Cooperation an., 2011).
The country has a federal system of governance. It has 26 states that make the federation. Brazil has a president who is elected and whose mandate lasts for a period of four years. The country has a stable government and a good foreign policy that aims to increase its presence at the international stage. The foreign policy of Brazil bases on commercial collaboration principle. The country has set up embassies in seventy four countries in the world (Organization for Economic Cooperation an, 2011).
Economic factors
The country has vast portions of natural resources which include oil and iron ore. These form part of the basis of economic development of the country. The country has fertile lands for agricultural production which is averaged at over 300 million hectares. The country is safe in the sense that it is not prone to natural calamities and or hazards and disasters. This puts the economy of Brazil in a better position when it comes to competition in the global market (OECD, 2011).
The country has a positive outlook in terms of the growth of its economy. Brazil has attained a big growth in the economy more so from the year 2000 to date. Its real Gross Domestic Product has been rising; it has doubled from 724 billion US dollars to 1.5 trillion US dollars for the period ranging from the year 2002 to 2009.
The country has had a constant economic growth from the year 2004. The country has the largest economy in the Latin America Region. When looked at in comparison to all the economies of the world, Brazil is classified at number ten in terms of the size of the economy globally. The United Nations Development Program has classified the country as having the highest human development index when compared to other industrializing nations (López-Claros, 2010).
The country plays a big role in the global market in sectors like aerospace, mining, energy and agriculture. The domestic market of the country has been expanding. This has resulted from sound policies that relate to economic growth and the distribution of income. The household consumption has grown to reach 236 billion US dollars by the year 2009. The country has a promising economy which has enticed foreign Direct Investors.
The foreign direct investment in the country has risen to more than double for the last five years – from 2005 to 2010. The country has good trade relations with other countries of the world. It has formed trade partnerships with different countries across all the continents. The major trade partners of Brazil include the larger Europe, China, United States, Japan and South America. This is according to the Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade (International Business Publications, 2005).
In spite of having a business environment which is functioning well the country the study has indicated that the country has wide spread bribery and corruption which hinders business and development of the country. However, there are positive developments concerning corruption.
The country has been cited for developing a strong legal base for mitigating corruption. Brazil is more often than not used as model for the development of legal anti-corruption frameworks by other developing states of the world. Brazil has anti-corruption frameworks that are generally well developed.
President Lula who is the current president of the country has shown serious commitments of fighting the vice of corruption. The country is still working on other legislations of ensuring that there is the participation of citizens in ensuring that the government s accountable and in sealing the loopholes for corruption (Yadav, 2011).
Brazil has a god communication network. The country has diverse means of communication across its different cities. Extensive means of communication that are used include landline phones, faxes, cell phones, the television and the radio. The use of computers in communication has been increasing. The use of internet and the social network in Brazil has gained fame in the country (ACC and Abraham, 2011).
Social Environment of Brazil
Brazil as a country has a rich culture. The country has a racial mixture. The also has different ethnicities. This brings a lot of diversities. The races in Brazil have a very thin line between them because here have been a lot of intermarriages between the races thus facing off individual races.
Brazilians are friendly people who like to interact with different people. Social classes in Brazil are determined by the economic status as well as the color of the skin. There are elements of racial discrimination in Brazil. The people with dark skin are the victims of discrimination and form majority of those who make up the low class in the country (Douglas, 2011).
The general religion of the country is Roman Catholic and most of the civil laws of the country bases on the Roman – German traditions.
The commitment of Brazil for hosting the event has been going on for quite a long time from the year 2003. All government sectors and departments are showing commitments of hosting the event. The citizens of the country are also showing lots of interests and commitments of having the event hosted in the country (Douglas, 2011).
Brazil has high rates of criminal activities. Crime is the major problem to the security of the country more so in the big cities the capital being one of the cities that is mostly affected. A ray of criminal activities that are common in the country include murder, carjacking, kidnappings, burglary and armed assaults.
The media and the media have reported increase in criminal incidences in the country. The nature of violence has shifted from gang-on-gang and criminal activities are targeting civilians. Organized crime is aggravated by drug barons and gungs who mostly operate in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Homicide in Brazil has been on decline in the recent times. Very violent crimes have dropped in recent times therefore the country is no longer classified as a very dangerous country in terms of crime (Human Rights Watch, 2011).
Most of the cities that will potentially hold the world cup events do not have high rates of crime. Crime is only prevalent in two of the cities which are Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The government of Brazil has launched a security plan that is geared towards combating crime and increasing the general security of the country.
The government has taken two approaches in tackling the security problem which are the increasing and deployment of security forces and the launching of preventive social programs. The government has launched a national security campaign and has planned to invest more than 3.3 million US dollars to bring down crime in the affected regions of the country. The plan is expected to have cut down crime in a big way by the end of the year 2012 (Conflict, security and development, 2011).
Moreover, the country is putting in place enough security details in places like the stadiums, main hotels and media centers which will be hosting a big number of guests who attending the event (Conflict, security and development, 2011).
Brazil as a country does not have terrorist activities. There are no terrorist groups that have been reported to be in the country. The country does not have alignment with enemies therefore this puts the country out of the dangers of being attacked and or terrorized by radical terrorist groups (Conflict, security and development, 2011).
Infrastructure of Brazil
Hosting cities have good infrastructure. The country has good air and land transport. The airports of the potential hosting cities are in a fairly good condition. This is a plus because the host cities have no proper hotel infrastructure in terms of the spacing and the quality to accommodate the anticipated large number of guests who will be attending the matches which will be played in the cities.
In general, the country has put in place transport and logistical measures to solve the anticipated transport problem which include the possibility of airlifting of fans to the cities as well as the transportation by road (United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2010).
Given that Brazil has a good football and footballing culture for both men and women, the country has numerous football training centers. These training centers are stadiums that belong to the local clubs in Brazil which are participating in the Brazilian league. The country has good football infrastructure. Brazil has eighteen football stadiums that have the potential of hosting the world cup football matches. Fourteen of the stadiums are old stadium which have been operating for quite a long time.
There are other four stadiums that are still under construction. The old stadiums have been undergoing reconstruction to ensure that they are brought back to an excellent status in readiness for holding big events of the world cup caliber. The country lacks enough media facilities in the stadiums that have the potential of hosting the world cup event. There are good projects that are ongoing to address media requirements.
The country also has excellent football training facilities that have been in use for quite long. Some of these facilities have grown old and are being improved.
Environment and Geography of Brazil
The country has good geography and a good climate. The country has a varied topography which is inclusive of mountains, highlands, rivers, plains, savannas, grasslands and rainforests.
It has a big coastal stretch which covers a distance of 7,367 kilometers. The country has a big rainforest – the amazon rainforest which covers most of the terrain of the country in the north region. Brazil has a total of five climatic regions.
The climatic regions include tropical, equatorial, highland tropical, semi arid and the subtropical climatic regions. The different climatic regions have varying climatic conditions (Petersen, Sack and Gabler, 2012).
Sustainable Opportunities accruing from Hosting of the world cup event
By the virtue of hosting the event, Brazil as a country could benefit a lot as in many developments will be brought about by the event. This can be looked at in relation to the development that has taken place in South Africa due to hosting the event in the year 2010. Brazil is a country which is in the transition stage as in relation to economic development.
Brazil is a country that is developing at a relatively faster rate. South Africa is also a country that is in transition from a developing to a middle income economy. The infrastructural growth which is a vital component of economic growth was boosted in a very big way as in the preparation to hosting the world cup event in 2010.
This includes the construction of world class stadiums, the transport infrastructure which includes the upgrading of the airports to international standards as well as the roads and railway networks. There was also tremendous development in the hotel industry which has boosted tourism in the country therefore increasing the earnings from tourism thence economic development.
Social and Economic Impacts
The study conducted indicates the world cup event when hosted in Brazil will produce a positive impact on investments inn the country. The result of the study shows that if the e vent is hosted in the country, the economy of Brazil will increase five folds in terms of the total amount of direct investment in the events that are related to the hosting of the world cup. This will result directly and indirectly impact on the development of other industries.
Brazil will have to spend a total of R$ 22.6 billion in developing to ensure adequate infrastructure and the organization for the world cup. The event is estimated to bring to the Brazilian economy R$ 112.79 Billion. Also, another R$ 142.79 billion is projected to flow to the country as a result of the event.
The flow of money in the economy will generate an approximate of 3.6 million jobs per year. This will greatly aid in solving the unemployment crisis in the country. Furthermore an income of R$ 63.48 billion is expected from the event. This income for the population will impact positively on the consumer market at the domestic level.
The amounts of tax collected by the local, state as well as the federal government is expected to rise by R$18.13 billion. The direct impact of hosting the event on the Gross Domestic Product of Brazil is estimated to reach R$ 64.5 billion.
The sectors that will majorly benefit from the event include the construction sector, the hospitality sector which includes the food and beverages, the business services sector, the utilities sector that entail water, sanitation, gas and urban hygiene. The information services sector will also benefit from the event. The general output of these sectors will increase by R$ 50.18 billion.
Analysis of finding and justification
From the findings, it can be deduced that Brazil is a football loving nation. The country has passionate football lovers. The history of Brazil cannot be complete without mentioning football. This is a positive point that perhaps explains why the country is the favorite in hosting this kind of an event.
One of the most important factors of success for the world cup event is the number of people who buy tickets and or attends the event as the event aims at raising money for the football governing body. Therefore apart from foreign spectators, a big number of tickets will be bought by the Brazilians boosting the earnings from the event.
Also being a footballing nation, Brazil has a well developed football league. The country has a fairly good football infrastructure. This includes the stadiums and other football training facilities. These facilities are a good basis for hosting the event. The stadiums that are owned by the Brazilian football clubs are being upgraded to standards that are required to host the event.
This is a plus to Brazil when compared to other countries that do not have well developed local football where an overhaul of infrastructure will need to be undertaken. What is only needed and which the country is doing is the construction of ac few other stadiums.
Drawing from the findings of the research, it has been noted that Brazil as a country has never been attacked and or targeted by extremist and terrorism groups. This is an important considering the fact that terrorism has become an issue of international concern and that terrorist groups do target places with big gatherings as will be during the world cup event.
The country is mostly marked with internal criminal activities that are more prevalent in only two of the cities that will be hosting the world cup event. it has however been that the government of Brazil is investing a lot in issues to do with security and it has so far achieved remarkable success.
Brazil has had stable politics for a long period of time. It has a stable government and good foreign relations with almost all countries of the world. The country has a good record of human rights with absence of civil wars and or conflicts. This makes the country to have a neutralist view by other countries of the world and thus an attracting factor to foreigners who do attend the event.
Brazil has different climates owing to the different climatic regions that the country has. Moreover, the country has a long coastal stretch. All these are attraction factors for foreigners who will not only come as football spectators but also to explore the nature of the country.
Federalism has helped the country to attain widespread development throughout the country. Therefore the country has god infrastructure. Brazil has good airports. The government is working on expansion of other airports across the potential world cup hosting cities across the country. The country also has good roads which are being improved. Generally the infrastructure of the country is fairly good and the weak pints in infrastructure are being worked onto bring them to good standards.
The country has good hotels and restaurants. The hotels are however not well spread across the country. The transport infrastructure will aid in movement of spectators from stadiums to the hotels. Brazil is doing a lot in marketing the event both through the internet and other audio-visual media.
Conclusion
Brazil is a country whose development is accelerating at a faster pace. The country has a good economy and good infrastructure. The country has a stable government. The country has adopted and embraced modern technologies in development. When all these factors are coupled with the football culture of the country, it puts the country in a better place to host a successful world cup in 2014.
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