By Samindra Kunti
November 15 – The Arena Corinthians, the World Cup showcase stadium in Sao Paulo that became the home of reigning Brazilian champions Corinthians, is facing severe structural damage due to a massive water leak beneath the facility. The condition may threaten the sustainable use of the venue and again questions the legacy of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
By Samindra Kunti
March 24 – Brazil’s Lavo Jato scandal is further escalating. This time bribes may have been offered in relation to the construction of Arena Corinthians, a 2014 FIFA World Cup venue.
By Samindra Kunti
December 21 – FIFA is suspending further transfers from a World Cup legacy fund to Brazil pending further talks with the Brazilian federation, the CBF. Brazil has only received $8.7 million from the fund 17 months after the most profitable World Cup in history.
April 2 – The word legacy seems to accompany every World Cup but post-tournament the evidence is frequently conspicuous by its absence. Reports in Brazil have revealed that the World Cup stadium in Natal is up for sale since the company that owns it is suffering from cash flow problems following a corruption scandal.
By Paul Nicholson
February 12 – Ray Whelan, the British director accused of selling VIP World Cup tickets at inflated prices in Brazil, has had all charges against him dropped by the Brazilian justice authorities. While the prosecutor has 15 days to appeal against the decision, it is not expected that there will be a challenge.
January 25 – Just seven months after hosting four World Cup matches, Cuiaba’s Arena Pantanal stadium, is being closed for “emergency repairs”.
January 20 – MATCH Services, FIFA’s accommodation partner for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has had all charges that it was leveraging “abusive” prices in the hotel market with tickets for matches dismissed by CADE, Brazil’s anti-competition authority.
By David Owen
January 9 – Details of recipients of a $70 million pot earmarked by FIFA for clubs whose players took part in last year’s World Cup in Brazil have been disclosed, with Germany’s Bayern Munich emerging as comfortably the biggest beneficiary.
October 29 – A senior FIFA figure has questioned Brazil’s reasons for staging this year’s World Cup, suggesting legacy and social change was a less important factor than trying to win a sixth world crown.
August 15 – FIFA has to deal with scores of complaints on an almost daily basis but few are surely more bizarre than the revelation that a Colombian lawyer is suing world football’s governing body for €1 billion over “moral damages” caused by refereeing at the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – In a major triumph for his employers who have long protested his innocence, Ray Whelan, the British director of FIFA’s World Cup marketing affiliate Match who has been at the centre of a ticket tout investigation in Brazil, has been freed from Rio’s notorious Bangu prison on bail.
August 5 – The Ghanaian fans who were seeking asylum in Brazil after the world cup have been granted an initial one-year stay in the country.
July 25 – A newly published survey of UK, US and Brazilian consumers finds that Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Visa and Adidas were the most recognised sponsors of the World Cup in Brazil, achieving recognition among 50%, 39%, 41% and 36% respectively, amongst UK, US and Brazilian consumers.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – Jaime Byrom, one of the founders of long-established FIFA marketing affiliate Match, is confident the World Cup ticket tout investigation in Brazil will not jeopardise the group’s relationship with world football’s governing body when it comes to future contracts.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
July 22 – The boss of the FIFA affiliate at the heart of the ongoing World Cup ticket tout investigation in Brazil has made an impassioned plea to the authorities to release its director caught up in the probe, insisting he has done nothing wrong and is simply the victim of a huge misunderstanding.