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Havelange Stadium? Saldanha Stadium? Nilton Santos Stadium? Why Not Engenhão...
I’ve never been a huge fan of naming things after famous people and certainly not after politicians. (And don’t get me started on naming rights.) In football, there are so few folks that are above...
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Brazil Chooses 54 Cities As Possible Bases For World Cup Teams
Brazil has approved 54 cities to host national teams during the 2014 World Cup. It’s a preliminary list that should rise to closer to 100 by the end of the year. The cities must have at least one...
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2014 Match Ball To Be Named Brazuca
The ball to be used in the 2014 World Cup is to be named Brazuca, a playfully slang word for native Brazilians, FIFA and official sponsor adidas announced on Sunday. Brazuca got 70 percent of the more...
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FIFA Hints Recife Will Miss Confederations Cup
FIFA’s Secretary General Jerome Valcke published his regular column today and in it gave the strongest hint yet that Recife will be cut from the Confederations Cup. Next Thursday, FIFA will announce...
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FIFA Announce Goal Of The Year Candidates
FIFA revealed its 10 candidates for Goal of the Year today. See quick versions of them all here: That youtube link has only partial versions of the goals, such as Neymar’s spectacular dribbled goal...
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FIFA Unveil World Cup Host City Posters
FIFA today published the 12 posters that will be used to publicise the host cities of the 2014 World Cup. See them all here at the FIFA site. They’re all predictably colourful and apart from two or...
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FIFA, Brazilians and the 2014 World Cup: Who’s Doing What For Who, Ronaldo?
The most amazing moment of last night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony came before the winner was announced or even before the play button was pressed and the big screen lit up with the brilliance of Messi,...
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Ronaldo’s Sabbatical One More Sign Brazil Isn’t Taking World Cup Preparations...
Ronaldo woke up in UK today on his first full day in what promises to be a year-long business sabbatical at advertising firm WPP. One of three men organizing the 2014 World Cup and June’s...
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Haiti-Italy Tie Is Rerun Of World Cup Classic
Two of the worlds most powerful teams are warming up for the Confederations Cup with games against Haiti. Spain beat them 2-1 on Sunday in Miami and the Haitians acquitted themselves well. Tonight they...
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It’s The Double Standard, Stupid
I came to Recife last year and took a public bus to the Ilha do Retiro to see the Sport-Ponte Preta game. The ride was more memorable than the game. Passengers were thrown to one side and another as...
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New Maracana, Old problems, Zero Planning
The legendary Maracana stadium was modernised at a cost of more than 1 billion reais and now boasts room for 78,838 fans. A massive press area was set up for the Confederations Cup and thousands of...
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