The Fifa World Cup is a monstrous multi-billion business that most Kenyans may never experience first hand in a lifetime.
On arrival at the airport, it is all there to see; expanded airport, facelifts and expanded road network. The World Cup 2014 in Brazil is estimated to have cost R$25.6 billion, or roughly $11.63 billion to upgrade airports, roads and construct new stadia.
Stadium spend has been put at around $2.7 billion for the 12 new and upgraded arenas — roughly 13 per cent of the country’s budget for public education.
It is this obscene sum that has angered Brazilians such that they have poured onto the streets of hosting cities to show their frustrations to President Dilma Rouseff.
In the end, the world football governing body, Fifa, will walk away with revenues projected to hit the $4 billion mark, a 66 per cent rise from the 2010 edition in South Africa.
According to figures provided by Forbes, almost all of the revenue comes from television rights ($1.7 billion) and marketing rights ($1.35 billion) from corporate partners like Adidas, Emirates, Sony, Visa, Hyundai and Coca-Cola.
But while the city streets are rocked by strikes the rest of the world cares . They are interested is the Samba World Cup party.
Sao Paulo streets are strew with myriad media houses broadcasting live back in their countries. From huge OB vans to back up links, the area around Arena de Sao Paulo is a beehive of activity. Street parties act to stoke media frenzy with South America fans providing carnival mood.
Colombian fan, Ernesto Bahia said: “We don’t care what the Brazilians think about the amount spent. We too in Colombia have our own problems. We have come here to party. That is all.”
Arena de Sao Paolo is one huge monster of concrete, imperious design with roads around the facility testimony of how much earth was excavated. The Metro link that feeds into the stadium is a facility that is sure to change forever the lives of Brazilians moving across Sao Paolo, a city of 11 million inhabitants. Whatever, protesting Brazilians think — for the rest of us fans it is Samba party time and nothing else.
