Croatian coach Niko Kovac warned on Thursday the World Cup could become a “circus” after Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura awarded a soft 71st-minute penalty to hosts Brazil in the opening game of the tournament.
FIFA's 209 member federations have overwhelmingly rejected proposals for age limits and term of office limits. Delegates at the FIFA Congress meeting in Sao Paulo booted out the plan that formed part of the recommendations to revamp FIFA's governance.
President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday her country was ready to host the World Cup in two days, rejecting criticism of delays, overspending and chaos in the tournament's preparations. However organizing the cup was tough, but she insisted that the 12 stadiums were ready and told foreign fans that Brazil would welcome them with open arms like Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue.
Days after reports that US/Puerto Rican singer Jennifer Lopez had canceled her performance with Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte at Thursday opening ceremony in Brazil, her representative retracted and said that she will be there, People magazine reported.
Two World Cup sponsors, Coca Cola and Budweiser launched activation events in Brazil on Monday and joined Adidas, Sony and Visa in demanding FIFA deal effectively with the corruption allegations swirling around Qatar’s World Cup bid.
At least eleven heads of state and government have confirmed their attendance at the opening ceremony of the World Cup, next Thursday (12th), in São Paulo, and a total of 20 leaders will be watching World Cup matches.
Subway workers have suspended a strike that crippled traffic in Brazil's biggest city, but warned they could resume their walkout on Thursday, when Sao Paulo hosts the first game of the soccer World Cup.
Police in Sao Paulo fired tear gas Monday to disperse protesters supporting a subway strike that has unleashed transport chaos three days before the Brazilian mega-city hosts the World Cup kick-off.
Argentina's footballers inflamed their country's rivalry with England on the eve of the World Cup on Saturday, unfurling a banner claiming sovereignty of the Falkland Islands before defeating Slovenia 2-0.
Argentina confirmed on Thursday World Cup nationwide transmission free service both on television and radio. Channel 7, DeporTV and Radio Nacional will be responsible for delivering the service, thus fulfilling President Cristina Fernandez government’s promise of the ”World Cup for the whole country”.