Article: Ugly reality threatens World Cup in land of joga bonita

Brazil may be the heart of the beautiful game but domestic strains, from crime to transport, could test the hosts of the 2014 finals, reports Glenn Moore

England may have "invented" football but the Brazilians define its soul and no one with a drop of romance in their veins can argue with the appeal of a World Cup in the land of the joga bonito. But yesterday's decision by Fifa, football's world governing body, to award the 2014 tournament to Brazil is, like that which sent the 2010 jamboree to South Africa, something of a gamble.

As with 2010, the political choice is also the popular one, but the challenges are immense. The area bordered by Porto Alegre, Recife and Manaus, all putative ...

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