BRAZIL: SOCCER - Brazilians celebrate as FIFA announces Brazil to host 2014 World Cup

Record ID: 1533662

  • Title: BRAZIL: SOCCER - Brazilians celebrate as FIFA announces Brazil to host 2014 World Cup
  • Date: 31st October 2007
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (OCTOBER 30, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE
  • Embargoed: 15th November 2007 16:56
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVAAYM6US3102BVQA44LPYJ2GZJ3
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Hundreds of Brazilians celebrate atop the Corcovado mountain and at the Maracana stadium as FIFA announces Brazil as host of 2014 World Cup.
    Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue was draped in green and yellow on Tuesday (October 30) as hundreds celebrated FIFA's highly anticipated announcement that Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup.
    Wearing yellow shirts especially designed for the occasion, children rejoiced at the news that their country would host the world's greatest soccer championship.
    An official ceremony in Zurich made Brazil - the sole bidder - the fifth country to host a World Cup for a second time.
    Paulo Lopes, who organized this celebration said the World Cup would be spectacular for the country.
    "I think it is spectacular. Any sports event, be it an Olympic Games or a World Cup is spectacular for the host country," he said standing on top of the Corcovado mountain, one of the world's new seven wonders.
    Seventeen-year-old fan William Cardoso said he hoped to watch Brazil play the final in the Maracana stadium.
    "I hope I can be at the final in Maracana, wearing this shirt or who knows the other (Brazil jersey)," he said.
    In Brazil's most famous stadium, the Maracana, two huge soccer jerseys were rolled out onto the field reading: "The new Maracana is ours and the 2014 World Cup too."
    Brazil, who have won the World Cup a record five times and are the only country to have played in all 18 World Cup finals tournaments, last staged the event in 1950.
    Rio's Sport and Tourism department aide Savio Franco said Brazil should have had a second World Cup earlier.
    "I think Brazil, as a representative of world soccer, should have had in a shorter period of time a second World Cup here since we're the country of soccer and the entire world looks up to Brazilian soccer," he said.
    A huge Brazil jersey reading "the 2014 World Cup is ours"
    also fluttered from the top of the Sugar Loaf mountain as a trophy above Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register