Brazil on edge as World Cup exposes rifts

World Cup fever might be everywhere but Brazil, the host nation.

According to the New York Times, only one-third of Brazilians think the global soccer tournament will help their country’s economy, and more people, 39 percent, say the World Cup will have an adverse effect on Brazil’s image around the world. The statistics underscore philosophical differences among the country’s 200 million people, exhibited by rifts from those who are genuinely excited to others with resentment over tournament costs and a sluggish post-boom economy – now in its fourth year of slow growth.

“This is the strangest atmosphere I’ve ever witnessed in Brazil before a World Cup, as apprehension and apathy threaten the normal excitement,” historian Antonio Riserio told the N.Y. Times.

World Cup play kicks off Thursday with teams from 32 countries.
 
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