Host Cities
| Region | 1950 | 2014 | Host cities in 1950 | Host cities in 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central-West | 0 | 2 | — | Brasília, Cuiabá |
| North | 0 | 1 | — | Manaus |
| Northeast | 1 | 4 | Recife | Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador |
| South | 2 | 2 | Curitiba, Porto Alegre | |
| Southeast | 3 | 3 | Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo | |
In 1950, host cities of the World Cup were concentrated in the southeast and south. In 2014, the host cities are more evenly distributed. Each host city is the capital of its state. The selection covers all the main regions of Brazil and as a result the tournament will require significant long-distance travel for teams. Brazil is the fifth largest nation in the world by geographical size. Although Brazil straddles the equator, all the proposed match venues are in the southern hemisphere, meaning that the games will be held in the winter period (although most venues for the tournament are situated in the tropics). The cold front comes from Antarctica causing cold weather in the south and central part of the country, and rainy weather in the north. However, the future stadiums are being prepared for these conditions.
FIFA agreed to increase the number of host cities from ten to 12 because of the size of Brazil. "In the very beginning, ten cities were going to be chosen, but thanks to the influence of Ricardo Teixeira and the interest of the whole country, we agreed increasing the number to twelve," said FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Teixeira briefed FIFA members about all 17 candidate cities.
A reported US$1 billion (approx. £650 million) is to be approved for the repair, upgrading and maintenance of Brazilian stadiums. However, aiming to build "state of the art" stadiums and, therefore, increasing their chances to be part of 2014's tournament, some Brazilian states are searching for expertise abroad. Recently delegations from Recife and Porto Alegre, for example, visited the Amsterdam Arena in order to understand the formula which made that stadium highly profitable. Amsterdam Arena, the home of AFC Ajax, has developed and is offering its expertise on the multi-use-purpose stadium concept and management. Amsterdam Arena has been developed to accommodate not only football matches but also concerts and events. Amsterdam Arena is currently developing two projects for Brazil: Recife/Olinda and Porto Alegre (Grêmio).
Read more about this topic: 2014 FIFA World Cup
Famous quotes containing the words host and/or cities:
“The host is rushing ‘twixt night and day,
And where is there hope or deed as fair?
Caoilte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Today as in the time of Pliny and Columella, the hyacinth flourishes in Wales, the periwinkle in Illyria, the daisy on the ruins of Numantia; while around them cities have changed their masters and their names, collided and smashed, disappeared into nothingness, their peaceful generations have crossed down the ages as fresh and smiling as on the days of battle.”
—Edgar Quinet (1803–1875)