Putting on an event for the entire world can be tough.
Especially when stadiums, IT networks, public transportation and airports aren’t finished.
Those are just a couple of things that Brazil and FIFA have on their plate with less than three months until the opening whistle between Brazil and Croatia on June 12th.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke is doing the best he can to calm people’s nerves but he knows the challenges ahead. It was him two years ago who said, “Brazil needs a kick up the backside” in regards to the local organizing committee.
“I am not a World Cup specialist but I will say this has not been easy for sure” he said. “We are almost 100 days before the first game in a stadium in São Paulo which is still not ready and won’t be ready until May 15. And as you know another two stadiums [in Curitiba and Manaus] are quite late."
IT solutions have yet to be set up in stadiums and they need at least 90 days to complete the installation. One airport will be welcoming fans in canvas tents because the terminal won’t be finished in time. Five host cities have given up on plans to add bus lanes and have scaled back their initial investments to help with public transportation.
Then there is the fear of protests hounding the grounds surrounding stadium sites.
Last summer at the Confederations Cup, the dress rehearsal for the World Cup, protestors flooded the streets. Spurred by an increase in bus fares, evictions and a rise in cost of living, protestors targeted the World Cup and the government for the money flowing in the wrong direction.
The country will test its £475 million security operation, which includes 170,000 troops, police, and security staff. Which is three times the amount of personnel at the Confederations Cup.
Ronaldo, the former Brazilian star striker who is also on the Local Organizing Committee, has tried to restore faith that the World Cup is the best thing for Brazil.
“From what I hear abroad, they are talking about our very same doubts, delays, demonstrations, security – all this is very natural, ” he said. “There was uncertainty around the Winter Olympics and Sochi and we know the event was very successful. We hope the same will happen here, it’s a lot of work.”
Indeed, all the negative hype around the Winter Olympics did turn out to be just that. But as we get closer to the first whistle in São Paulo and visitors flood the streets of the soccer Mecca, it will be interesting to see if Brazil can avoid the negative publicity that plagued the Sochi Games.
