Brazil, The Olympics and the FIFA World Cup

This chapter comprises two parts: a very brief history of socio-cultural and political aspects of sport (especially football) in Brazil that provides the background and context for the second that discusses contemporary aspects of mega-event bidding and hosting in Brazil. The first part focuses on the role of football in forging national identity and the growth in popularity of the sport. The politics surrounding Brazil’s involvement in the FIFA World Cup since 1950 is discussed. The domestic politics of Brazilian football and key figures João Havelange and his former son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira are also considered. The second part will consider bidding and national politics underpinning the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics, public protest and security, and demonstrations before and during the 2014 World Cup. The chapter concludes by considering the impact of mega-event hosting on political agendas and the outlook for football and other professional sports post-mega-events in Brazil