Soccer, the "most beautiful game," is also the world's most popular sport. That accessibility is part of what makes it beautiful as well all one needs to play is one's body and a ball. The game can be played by anyone, anywhere, from the stadiums of London to Dartmouth's Green and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
The "beautiful game" recently threatened to turn ugly at the Confederations Cup, however, when the tune-up for next year's World Cup coincided with massive demonstrations by Brazilians over transportation rate hikes, political corruption and lackluster health care and education systems.
These complaints surface in light of Brazil's massive investment in hosting major international sports exhibitions, including the 2016 Olympics, which many feel comes at the expense of the people.
Similar events occurred in 2010 near Johannesburg, home of the 2010 World Cup, as residents of Oukasie Township took to the streets to protest government spending as large numbers of people live in destitution in South Africa.
The business mentality of professional sports creates a belief that the richest teams and nations will repeatedly shine at the expense of those with less money. Bodies such as the Federation Internationale de Football Association and the International Olympic Committee have sought to combat this phenomenon by breaking the old model of only allowing economically stable nations to host their crown jewels the World Cup and Olympics.
In the last 10 years, FIFA and the IOC have tended to send these massive events to developing countries such as Brazil and South Africa, which must make massive infrastructure improvements to accommodate the millions of fans. FIFA and the IOC provide only meager financial aid for such investments.
As Emilia Barrosse illuminates in a recent Huffington Post column, Brazil's massive spending spree has been at the expense of its poorest people, especially those living in the favelas of Rio. In addition to tearing down homes to build stadiums, highways and parking lots, the favelas have become highly militarized as officials crack down on drug trafficking and violence.
Governments and organizing committees tout hosting events such as the World Cup and Olympics as booms for tourism and construction and services industries. British Columbia saw an increase of $2.3 billion to its GDP after the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Critics contend that the money spent to host sports events could be better appropriated. Andre Mayer writes in a recent CBC article that spending projects for sports events disrupt normal economic development patterns and create waste. Some say that the money South Africa generated through hosting the 2010 World Cup enhanced the economic disparities of the Rainbow Nation, while others say that it is too soon to judge, arguing that the long-term promotion campaign to introduce South Africa to the global stage as a safe and friendly nation will help drive investments and tourism.
Critics also debate the significance of Greek spending to host the 2004 Olympics in light of the country's current economic crisis.
Brazil is arguably the world's most soccer-crazed nation. But as Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune put it, the "opiate of the masses [became] the enmity of the masses." Soccer was not only the main target of protesters, who took to the streets with signs reading "FIFA GO HOME" and sought to disrupt the Confederations Cup by targeting stadiums, it was also a method of protest. On the world-famous Copacabana beach and outside of the parliament building in Brasilia, soccer balls were painted with red crosses and placed in rows to represent a cemetery.
This chilling sight was accompanied by a banner that read "We demand schools, hospitals, and security, not standard FIFA.'"
In the streets surrounding the stadiums were scenes of rubber bullets, tear gas and Molotov cocktails, while inside Brazil's stadiums, the sacred game continued on. At times, it seemed as if Brazil had lost its affection for the game, as even former superstar Romario criticized the Brazilian government for its handling of the tournaments. However, as the minutes wound down and Neymar, Fred and Jlio Csar carried the home team to victory over world champion Spain, the streets quieted and people began to celebrate the action on the pitch, perhaps reflecting transcendent capabilities of sport in times of crisis.
Yes, this is just the Confederations Cup and who knows what will happen over the next few years in Brazil, but the book is not closed on these protests or on FIFA and the IOC's strategy to broaden their host countries to developing nations. Only time will tell whether the strategy is economically worthwhile and the impact on the people.
There is no denying that the 2010 World Cup did wonders for the global image of South Africa. Recently released data paints a similar picture of the benefit for the nation, which saw an influx of $5.8 billion to its economy and the addition of 400,000 jobs.
Here's to hoping that something similar happens in Brazil, and that the benefits go to not only the world of sports, but the people of that nation. It is truly great to see these mega-events hosted by atypical nations, reflecting the global, transcendent power of sports to bring people together.
