Brazil was in fact the only country on the continent that said it actually wanted to hold the event!  That said, had Brazil not conformed to requirements, FIFA would have been obliged to look elsewhere. 

FIFA’s inspection of Brazil as the sole candidate and its final decision to hold the 2014 World Cup there accounts for all the screaming and shouting in Rio de Janeiro on 30th October this year: "The 2014 World Cup is Ours" - thousands of Brazilians showed their happiness across the nation for the selection of Brazil to host the 2014 World Soccer Cup.  Balloons, flags and giant replicas of the Brazilian national soccer team shirts were branded about in a burst of enthusiasm.

Ten Brazilian cities will be chosen to celebrate the 2014 World Cup that, according to announcements, is scheduled to start in Sao Paulo's Morumbi Stadium (66, 952 seats) and conclude at the recently reformed Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro (capacity 86,100 spectators). 

Natal’s Estrela dos Reis Magos stadium (capacity 65,000 spectators) is one of the top 5 stadiums in Brazil, and is almost certain to host several key fixtures of the tournament. This, coupled with its new second airport nearing completion, Natal is very easily accessed from all over Europe, making it the obvious choice not only for real estate investors, but also as an ideal venue for much of the event.

Brazilian TV interviewed two former internationals, Rai and Mauro Silva, members of the team that won Brazil's fourth World Championship in the USA in 1994.  "We have to overcome problems of security, health, and transport, invested a lot in infrastructure, and are beginning to work from now on to guarantee the success of the contest," Mauro Silva remarked.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who flew to Zurich for the announcement, stated, "Soccer is not only a sport for us.  It's more than that: soccer for us is a passion - a national passion."  He promised Brazil, "will now, with great pride, do its homework." And, he added, "if everything works out well, we will win once again a World Cup."

It’s said that Brazil will need to invest more than 1.6 billion dollars to fix up existing soccer stadiums and build new ones to conform with FIFA demands; something the country is not unfamiliar with.  Numerous infrastructure reforms have already been underway in the nation’s drive to attract further foreign investment and economic growth.  Indeed, Brazil’s successful bid is being regarded as yet another positive move towards full recognition for its importance in the worldwide arena, not only economically and politically, but also within the international sporting world.