Manaus and Brazil

Brazil: Let not forget that Brazil will also host the Olympics in 2016. This marks a significant era of potential investment for this sport-loving nation. But some Brazilians complain that the long-term infrastructure gains will not be realized. They cite examples of new stadia that will sit idle after the competition is over and become white elephants. Specifically, the stadium in Manaus deep in the Amazon is so remote that it cannot be reached by car and will only host four matches. Even worse, there is no professional team in Manaus to leverage the stadium after the competition is over. , according to Hamilton Spectator. The real economic winner from all of this is itself. The world governing body for soccer will generate $4 billion in revenue with much of that total coming from sponsors and television rights. Global multinationals like Sony, Coca-Cola, Visa, Hyundai and McDonald pay top dollar for the privilege of advertising on field-level signage during matches. With the world largest TV audience, these investments are often strategic and impactful. Adidas and Nike also benefit from the uniforms and football cleats that most national team players wear. Plus, the Adidas "Brazuca" ball is front and centre and can be yours for $150 at your local sports store. The cost of hosting the World Cup in Brazil is $11 billion. This is a huge amount of money in a country that has seen rising civil unrest. But will it be worth it? Economists project that the World Cup will provide $13 billion in economic stimulus for Brazil, which essentially means that the competition will provide a slight profit or just break even. Most previous World Cup competitions including 2010 in South Africa provided an initial boost for new jobs and tourism, but these benefits soon tapered off after a few years. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.