2014 FIFA World Cup

 

 

 

One week, and twenty games into the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there have already been some dramatic matches and surprising results, including the early elimination of Spain, the defending champion. Thousands of fans from around the world are in attendance in Brazil, while millions more are watching from home, setting new records in internet-video volume. Host nation Brazil appears to be living up to its obligations so far, despite early worries about readiness. Gathered here are images from the first few games, and some of the fans riding the emotional rollercoaster of cheering for their teams as they battle in Brazil.     Is there anything more pointless than a World Cup opening ceremony? Joining the league against the march of the unstoppable Sepp Blatter perhaps? Trying to find where the money’s gone again? Putting the toothpaste back in the tube? The Olympic flame lighting gala is part of the wonder of the event. Fortunes are spent, the biggest names are hired. Histories unfold and the Arctic Monkeys rock out. By contrast, there will be 18th birthday parties in Essex this weekend that have more wit and imagination than this. +20 Trio: Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte perform during the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup in Arena de Sao Paulo +20 Start: J-LO acknowledges the crowd after singing the official World Cup song 'We Are One (Ola Ola)' alongside Pitbull +20 High notes: Singer Leitte performs during the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup where the Brazuca ball was before it split into segments There were plenty of perfectly viable ways to start this World Cup — the ceremonial beheading of various disgraced FIFA executive committee members, for instance — but Brazil 2014 went for the usual. A cast of hundreds twirling colourfully but to no real purpose, representing the same old cliches that bear about as much resemblance to the true soul of Brazil as Morris dancers would cut to the heart of old England. Still, it was good to see the spirit of Frank Sidebottom rekindled in the dancers with what appeared to be footballs for heads. They resisted the opportunity to do Frank’s own World Cup song, Three Shirts On The Line — a pulsating tale of the time his ball went over next door’s fence — but you can’t have everything. All opening ceremonies have a central theme, though, and this was no exception. Nature, people and football — ‘Brazil’s greatest treasures,’ according to FIFA, who would know a bit about plundering them — were the subject of this one, which included 660 dancers, floaters and others just standing for large parts of the process wondering how hot it could get inside a giant football head before a person passed out. As ever, the action was ripe with hidden meaning. +20 In the mood: J-LO, Leitte and Pitbull perform on the central stage in Sao Paulo ahead of the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia +20 The World Cup stage: The Brazuca ball split into segments to allow Pitbull, J-LO and Leitte to perform during the opening ceremony +20 Looking on: A Brazil fan waits for the start of the Group A match against Croatia, which the host nation won 3-1 +20 A mix of all kinds: A Mexico fan looks on while wearing his eccentric peacock-feathered headdress during the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo Many had the tall folk on stilts down as representing the trees of the Amazonian rainforest, but those of a more creative bent will have instantly spotted the subtle representation of England’s back four against Germany in Bloemfontein. The same stilted sideways movement, uncannily similar pace. Maybe the trees turned quicker and had a better positional sense, but there is always a degree of artistic licence where these festivals are concerned. Soon after, dancers in national costumes old and new celebrated together, some performing somersaults and cartwheels, representing the joy that is felt among the various members of FIFA ExCo when the bloke from Qatar turns up with a sackload of readies. More formally attired attendants represented the lawyers telling journalists they can’t make jokes like that, because nothing of this nature has been proven. And that they’re racists, probably. It really was a most heart-warming scene. Meanwhile, extras dressed as flowers, sprouts, sprites and other stuff you pick out of a salad stood around doing, well, nothing really. Everyone was waiting for J-Lo. Peace: A Brazil fan waves the peace sign during the opening ceremony and another two supporters give a thumbs up as J-LO performs in Sao Paulo +20 Joy and mirth: Fans watch on as the World Cup gets underway with an opening ceremony at the Arena de Sao Paulo on Thursday before kick-off   All smiles: Brazil fans were certainly up for the opening ceremony as they watched on ahead of the Brazil v Croatia clash in Group A There is always a big ticket item at opening ceremonies and Jenny from the block was Brazil’s. All week, stories have circled: would she turn up, if she did would she perform or mime, is there genuinely nobody in a country populated by close to 200million that can carry a tune without having to import mundane duds from the Bronx? And then she appeared, ruined Ary Barroso’s wonderful Aquarela do Brasil — the only vaguely Brazilian music on offer — and was shortly joined by Pitbull to do the same to other FIFA endorsed dirges too miserable to mention. God, it was rotten stuff, although all involved seemed very pleased with themselves. At the end they disappeared into a hole in what appeared to be an overripe mango, which was strangely appropriate. A little awkward! Pitbull helps J-LO out of the elevated paltform that seemed to get stuck on its way up +20 Proud: A female Brazil fan shows off her colours at the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 World Cup ahead of the Brazil and Croatia clash in Sao Paulo +20 Fans cheer before the start of the first Group A match between Brazil and Croatia, as the opening ceremony seemed to get them in the mood +20 Performers dance during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Opening Ceremony at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 12 So what was the stadium like? Was it ready? Was if functioning? Mostly. The helicopters circling overhead told a different World Cup story, one of resentment and unrest, but nothing fell down, so by the standards of modern tournament organisation, this equates to a triumph. The Arena Corinthians is another of those FIFA-endorsed projects that goes down so well in countries whose citizens still dwell in slums. Sao Paulo, the club and the city, had a perfectly passable 67,000-capacity stadium in town that needed modernisation. Instead, FIFA insisted on a new ground and this was built to the east of the city for Sao Paulo’s great rivals Corinthians, huge and white, with fabulous views of the local poverty. +20 Home: A fan kisses a fake World Cup trophy ahead of the match between tournament-favourites Brazil and Croatia +20 Packed: The general view of the arena during the opening ceremony as fans piled in to see Brazil v Croatia +20 A festival of colour: The opening ceremony did not disappoint in terms of colour as its huge selection of dancers had their costumes at the ready +20 Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo There was bunting hanging from the houses nearby but it had seen better days. Brazil is a hot country and material quickly fades, but even so this looked as if it had been put up some time ago in an attempt to affect enthusiasm for the project, rather than in a frenzy of anticipation as the World Cup drew near. Maybe this will change as the competition progresses and Brazil with it, but right now the idea of football returning to its spiritual home feels like a headline more than a truth. Those inside the stadium were noisy, enthusiastic and clearly good to go, but the rest of the country is still asking what the World Cup can do for them. They’ll hang out the bunting when they have something to bunt about.       Wrapped in a Spanish national flag, a soccer fan reacts in frustration as she watches the live broadcast of the World Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands inside the FIFA Fan Fest area on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 13, 2014.(AP Photo/Leo Correa) 2 Robin van Persie of the Netherlands scores the team's first goal with a diving header in the first half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group B match between Spain and Netherlands at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, on June 13, 2014.(Jeff Gross/Getty Images) # 3 Fans cheer before the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia, the opening game of the tournament, in the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) # 4 Men watch the 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match between the Netherlands and Australia on a laptop, at a camel market in Daba near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on June 18, 2014. (Reuters/Mohamed Alhwaity) # 5 Soccer fans celebrate the second goal scored by Brazil striker Neymar, during a live broadcast at a World Cup viewing party at the Jockey Club, in Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) # 6 A fan donning miniature national flags representing Italy, Germany, Mexico, France, Spain, Brazil and Bosnia in her hair smiles, prior to the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, on June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) # 7 People sit on sofas as they watch the opening game of the 2014 World Cup between Brazil and Croatia, during a public viewing event at the Alte Foersterei stadium in Berlin on June 12, 2014. Berlin's Union soccer club has invited its supporters to bring their sofas to its stadium to watch World Cup soccer matches on a giant screen in a communal living room atmosphere.(Reuters/Thomas Peter) # 8 Brazilian patient Luana, 10, talks with her doctor before the 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Cancer Itaci Hospital in Sao Paulo on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Nacho Doce) # 9 Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a save during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) # 10 An Argentinian soccer fan holds a statue of the Virgin Mary and a portrait of player Lionel Messi as he gathers with others to watch Argentina's World Cup match with Bosnia on an outdoor screen set up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 15, 2014.(AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia) # 11 Mexico's Andres Guardado (top) is fouled by Brazil's Daniel Alves during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach) # 12 Honduras players Roger Espinoza, left, and Luis Garrido complain to referee Sandro Ricci from Brazil after he awarded a goal to France using goal line technology during the group E World Cup soccer match between France and Honduras in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 15, 2014. (AP Photo/David Vincent) # 13 Fans of Chile and Spain gather at the FIFA Fan fest in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup Spain vs Chile match on June 18, 2014. (Tasso Marcelo/AFP/Getty Images) # 14 Ivory Coast's Serey Die is overcome with emotion, hearing his country's national anthem played before the group C World Cup soccer match between Colombia and Ivory Coast in Brasilia on June 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) # 15 American soccer fans watch the match between Ghana and USA on a large screen at the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest on Copacabana beach on June 16, 2014. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) # 16 United States' Clint Dempsey celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the group G World Cup soccer match between Ghana and the United States in Natal, Brazil, on June 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) # 17 Soccer fans react at a viewing party at a restaurant in Pittsburgh after watching the United States score in the opening minute of play against Ghana in a World Cup soccer match in Brazil. The United States won the match 2-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) # 18 An Argentinian fan in front of Maracana stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2014 group match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzecovina in Rio de Janeiro on June 15, 2014. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images) # 19 Croatia's goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa fails to make a save as Brazil's Oscar scores his side's third goal during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) # 20 South Korean fans react as they watch the 2014 World Cup match between South Korea and Russia on June 18, 2014 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) # 21 Pepe of Portugal headbutts Thomas Mueller of Germany resulting in a red card during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group G match between Germany and Portugal in Salvador, Brazil, on June 16, 2014. (Martin Rose/Getty Images) # 22 Fans of South Korea (left) Mexico (center), and Colombia cheer for their teams at the 2014 World Cup.(Eric Gaillard, Sergio Moraes, Sergio Perez) # 23 Brazil's Neymar reacts during a Group A soccer match against Mexico at the Castelao arena in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014.(Reuters/Marcelo Del Pozo) # 24 A fan of the Brazilian national soccer team watches the Mexico vs. Brazil match at the FIFA Fan Fest in Sao Paulo on June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) # 25 Brazil's Paulinho (8) watches as Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa punches the ball clear of the goal during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) # 26 Joe Hart of England lands in the net after allowing Italy's second goal to Mario Balotelli of Italy during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match on June 14, 2014 in Manaus, Brazil. (Francois Xavier Marit/Getty Images) # 27 Uruguay's fans cheer before the start of the Group D soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica in Fortaleza on June 14, 2014.(Reuters/Mike Blake) # 28 Costa Rica's fans cheer during of the Group D soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica in Fortaleza on June 14, 2014.(Reuters/Mike Blake) # 29 A fan of Switzerland, carrying a child, takes a photo before their 2014 World Cup Group E soccer match against Ecuador at the Brasilia national stadium in Brasilia on June 15, 2014. (Reuters/Paul Hanna) # 30 Oribe Peralta of Mexico celebrates his goal in the second half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Mexico and Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas on June 13, 2014 in Natal, Brazil. (Julian Finney/Getty Images) # 31 Fans watch a live telecast of the Mexico vs. Brazil match at the FIFA Fan Fest during the 2014 soccer World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) # 32 Australian fans interview one another while waiting for the start the group B World Cup soccer match between Australia and the Netherlands at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) # 33 Chile's Eduardo Vargas celebrates his goal against Spain during their 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 18, 2014. (Reuters/Ricardo Moraes) # 34 Spanish fans react while watching their team play against the Chileans on a giant screen showing the FIFA World Cup match between Spain and Chile in Madrid, Spain, on June 18, 2014. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) # 35 Spain's Sergio Busquets reacts after missing a chance to score a goal during their 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match against Chile at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro June 18, 2014. Spain, current football World Cup champion, was eliminated from the competition after losing the match 2-0. (Reuters/Jorge Silva) # 36 Brazil fans kiss after watching Brazil play Mexico in their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at a public viewing area on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Landau)