It's Brazil for the 2014 World Cup

Soccer-mad country wins bid to host its favorite tournament
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 30, 2007 4:48 PM CDT
It's Brazil for the 2014 World Cup
A man celebrates at the Christ the Redeemer statue with a flag that reads in Portugueses 'The 2014 cup is ours' in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007. Brazil was confirmed by FIFA's executive committee as host of the 2014 World Cup. (AP Photo/ Ricardo Moraes)   (Associated Press)

FIFA chose Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup today, the AP reports. Brazil, which holds the record for World Cup wins, was the only South American bidder after Colombia withdrew in April. "Soccer is not only a sport for us," said Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. "It's more than that: Soccer for us is a passion, a national passion." Meanwhile, Germany landed the 2011 Women's World Cup.

Brazil hosted the Cup once before, in 1950. Their bid focused on the boon to infrastructure and investment that the tournament would bring to Brazil. The country's football confederation president elaborated:  "Our objective is to make Brazil become more visible in global arenas. The World Cup goes far beyond a mere sporting event. It's a tool to promote social transformation." (More World Cup stories.)

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