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FIFA World Cup: Impact on Society

 * The following is about the 2014 Brazil World Cup's impact on society
 * Focusing on Social and Economical

The FIFA World Cup has been active for many years as it started in 1930, and has continued to occur every four years up to this date. The football tournament of 32 International giants was held this year in Brazil and had promised to be one of the most memorable tournaments yet. This was because Brazil is considered the home of football with their samba style of cultural flair and passion. Many believed that this opportunity was exactly what Brazil needed not only for its footballing nation but for the country itself. Some others believed that this would be a very difficult time for Brazil as the World Cup carries an overwhelming burden as the host country. Host countries in the past (United States, Germany, Japan) have experienced this burden, but this year was Brazil’s turn to host and provide for their fellow players, spectators, visitors and competitors.

Brazil

 * Most successful International football team, winning five times since the tournament was founded in 1930. Awarding the country five stars that are shown on their jerseys during competition.

Brazil has been known to be a very beautiful and culturally rich country with its carnival seasons, vast natural landscapes and historical monuments. Football is one of the country's many passions and has proven to be one of the country’s driving sources of identity. With five stars, Brazil is the most successful international nation winning the World Cup five times, but unfortunately they lost out this year as the World Cup was won by the Germans. There is much more for the Brazilians to be proud of but there have also been some major concerns about the stability of the country. Located in South America, Brazil has also been known to be a country that suffers from poverty in most parts including slums, shanti towns and favelas. The social and economic state of Brazil has posed some questions as well because in the past there have been times of upheaval, including violence, robbery and other crimes in the society.

Social Impact
The World Cup gains major attention in the world of sports and society, but rarely gets put under the spotlight for its various impacts. The tournament effects a mass amount of people worldwide, not only within the host country. Some suggest that the FIFA world Cup is a time where people from all over the world join together and share a similar passion for the game. It is viewed as an event that unites cultures from all over the world as they gather within the host country, at the stadiums for the games or even at their households as they watch from the television. Fans and players from all over the world have different backgrounds, countries of origin and cultures, yet they share a similarity in the form of passion for football.

FIFA had invited coaches from the 32 nations involved to Brazil for an orientation where they were allowed to meet and greet staff and coaches from other teams whilst undergoing an introduction to Brazil and the host nation’s tournament. Coaches reflected on their experience, mentioning how indulging in so much diversity whilst meeting others form around the world was a beautiful experience for them. Socially, the World Cup impacts these people by acting as a medium in which they can share their values. Whether it is rooting for the host team or just enjoying their time at the event, the World Cup allows fans to soak up a variety of different cultures and experiences. The social impact of the tournament can also effect those who are entirely passionate for the sport. Even though some suggests that the World Cup unites us, others hold the event accountable for tearing people apart.

The World Cup has also faced criticism from some as a source of competitive feuds that lead to tearing us apart rather than uniting us. When teams lose, fans who are highly passionate tend to turn vigilant and there is a possibility that they target rivals from another team. There are also times where the competitive nature of the game has been held guilty for uncovering racial or cultural targeting. The Brazil World Cup had shown some signs of this notion as post game incidents such as vandalism and violence haunted the tournament and in some cases this actually happened.

There has also been a concern over how the World Cup can effect gender equality as recent cases with the Women’s World Cup has ignited talks of sexism. Female players have filed a lawsuit against the fact that they will be playing on artificial turf. They believe that they should be allowed to play on real grass and not artificial turf, just like the men do and that if they are not allowed to do so then it is a clear sign of sexism. Socially, the World Cup has held a strong impact on society and tends to raise questions of whether or not this impact is consistently positive or negative.

Economic Impact
The main concern with this year’s World Cup was whether or not Brazil’s hosting of the tournament was beneficial or costly. Some say that investing so much money into a short lived event is not ideal, because the cost for building stadiums, transporting teams, hiring staff and maintain fluidity does not always amount to the profit of it all. Hosting a World Cup does not necessarily improve tourism, provide mass amounts of revenue or improve the society as shown in Brazil this year. When hosting a World Cup, FIFA has a variety of demands that the host country most meet, and this means they must spend money.

A majority of citizens believed that this was not ideal because the state spent an abundance of money on the tournament while major part of the city still suffered from poverty and crime. They believed that this is what the money should be invested in, helping to develop their country instead of preparing to showcase it for visitors. The cost of hosting the World Cup itself had raised concerns because a country whose economic state is not the best was willing to disregard their state to host the tournament. This exact decision is what is believed to be the reason as to why the riots in Brazil had occurred. The public acting out a demonstration to get the message across that focusing on the World Cup before the people might have been wrong (Roberts, 2014). Economically, the World Cup can provide short term revenue for the country during the time of the event, but it is debatable when discussing if this investment supports long term economic success, or if the profit is only short term making the large investments unnecessary.

Reference List

 * Agro, C. (2014, July 11). World Cup brings cultures, communities together - FIFA World Cup 2014 - CBC. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/brazil2014/world-cup-brings-cultures-communities-together-1.2704059


 * Appelbaum, B. (2014, August 9). Does Hosting the Olympics Actually Pay Off? RetrievedOctober 14, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/magazine/does-hosting-the-olympics-actually-pay-off.html


 * Aziz, O. (2014, June 16). The World Cup doesn’t bring people together. It tears them apart. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/the-world-cup-doesnt-bring-people-together-it-tears-them-apart/


 * CBC. (2014, July 8). World Cup 2014: Brazil fans stunned as Germany routs home team - FIFA World Cup 2014 - CBC. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/brazil2014/world-cup-2014-brazil-fans-stunned-as-germany-routs-home-team-1.2700432


 * Connelly, M. (2014, June 4). The World Cup Is Bad for Brazil, Many Brazilians Say. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/world/americas/the-world-cup-is-bad-for-brazil-many-brazilians-say.html?_r=0


 * FIFA. (2014, September 12). Coaches reflect on Brazil 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=9/news=coaches-reflect-on-brazil-2014-2439107.html


 * Molina, E. (2014, July 14). World Cup 2014: World Cup Tournament Brings Together People of All Cultures [Watch]. Retrieved October 14, 2014, from http://www.latinpost.com/articles/17180/20140714/world-cup-2014-month-long-party-winds-down-with-world-cup-finally-over.htm


 * Peterson, A. (2014, October 1). Women’s World Cup: Female soccer players file lawsuit challenging turf | Toronto Star. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/2014/10/01/womens_world_cup_female_soccer_players_file_lawsuit_challenging_turf.html


 * Roberts, M. (2014, July 6). OpEdNews Article: Brazil's 2014 World Cup - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.opednews.com/articles/Brazil-s-2014-World-Cup--by-Michael-Roberts-Blunders_Control_Football_Games-140706-369.html


 * Watts, J. (2013, June 9). Brazil prepares for World Cup as criticism mounts over cost. Retrieved October 13, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/world-cup-brazil-cost-mounts