** Brazil’s Minister of Sport and FIFA Secretary-General give their assessment of the tournament following the completion of the group stage

—- Rio de Janeiro (27 June 2014) – Following the conclusion of the group stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, Brazil’s Minister of Sport Aldo Rebelo, FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke, and the CEO of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Ricardo Trade assessed the organizational aspects of the tournament, so far. During a press conference today at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Secretary-General Valcke praised the organization of the event.

“Brazil is on the right track for success in organizing the World Cup. It looks like we’re going to have a fantastic World Cup, the Cup of Cups,” said the FIFA Secretary-General, who noted that he was pleased with the good football played by the 32 squads in the tournament, which has had an impact on the TV ratings in several countries.

“Without a doubt, this World Cup will be one of the best on the pitch. We’ll break some records in the next few days. The World Cup ratings are fantastic, particularly in the United States,” said Secretary-General Valcke.

So far, 3.09 million World Cup tickets have been sold, close to three million people have attended the Fan Fests, and an average of 51,000 fans have attended each game.

In order to ensure the free flow of people and guarantee a great spectacle on the pitch, the federal government and the 12 host cities held 185 meetings to fine tune the operational plans for the World Cup.

“The efforts of Brazil’s three levels of government have, up to now, been successful in promoting the World Cup. We have ensured that the essential structure for the event runs smoothly. In addition, airports have met the increase in demand and those responsible for security are facing the challenge to protect everyone, without any serious incident being recorded. The accommodation sector managed to supply the demand according our expectations and urban mobility plans have worked well to ensure traffic isn’t too bad in the metropolises, particularly on match days. The World Cup is taking place in an atmosphere of normality, being successful on and off the pitch,” said Minister Rebelo.

The Minister also pointed out the economic and reputational benefits for the country resulting from the World Cup, such as the creation of one million jobs and the US$ 365 million spent by foreign tourists in Brazil.

World Cup Atmosphere

The parties at the stadiums and friendliness of Brazilians to the visitants are turning the World Cup in Brazil into a unique event, according to Minister Rebelo.

“In addition to the good football being played, the way Brazilian fans have welcomed everyone is another high point. The hospitality we have seen – like the Pataxós tribe visiting the Germans; or even locals from Manaus, sometimes misinterpreted by the English media, have welcomed warmly the English Team; and the Guarujá with the Bosnians – have helped to make this a globally engaged party. The government has played its role so that the World Cup could shine as much as possible.”

A representation of this global party in Brazil can be shown in figures presented by the LOC, such as the attendance of 85,000 fans at different squads’ training sessions, the accreditation of 156,000 media professionals, as well as 14,000 volunteers and 20,000 stewards.
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For more information, visit:

www.copa2014.gov.br/cam (Português)
www.copa2014.gov.br/es/cam (Español)
www.copa2014.gov.br/en/cam (English)