By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – What was expected to be a celebratory landmark occasion in terms of stadium readiness for the World Cup didn’t go completely to plan as another 2014 venue held its first test event.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – As if Brazil’s World Cup organisers didn’t have enough problems on their plate delivering the infrastructure in time for the June kick-off, the country’s president Dilma Rousseff has now come out and expressed her concern about racism in football after a spate of incidents involving players and officials. In comments posted on Twitter, Rousseff lent her support to former Brazil international midfielder Marcos Arouca da Silva, who was subject to monkey chants while playing for Santos against Mogi Mirim last week.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – There have been more indications – this time from the clubs – that no decision on moving the 2022 Qatar World Cup from the heat of the Gulf summer will be taken until next year.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – The stadium set to host the showpiece opening match of the World Cup may not be ready until less than four weeks before the start of the tournament, the latest of a series of setbacks for FIFA and Brazilian organisers. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said that work on the stadium in Sao Paulo may now not be completed until mid-May.
February 27 – FIFA has defended the traditional World Cup fan fests due to take place in the 12 host cities in Brazil after one venue said it was ditching the idea because of expense. “FIFA has worked in close cooperation with the host cities to guarantee that costs will be kept to a minimum,” said Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general.
By Paul Nicholson
February 26 – Adidas has fallen foul of the Brazilian government and, following a formal complaint, has pulled a range of World Cup products that were using sex appeal to promote Brazil-themed T-shirts.
February 24 – Public demonstrations in Sao Paulo, Brazil, again turned violent this weekend with police moving in swiftly to disperse rioters. The protest started peacefully with about 1,000 people, but the police stepped in when protestors set barricades alight and started smashing shop windows.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – Brazil’s World Cup organisers are breathing a sigh of relief after FIFA gave the host venue of Curitiba a deadline-day reprieve by announcing that local authorities had done just about enough to warrant retaining its status.
February 18 – Representatives of Brazil’s Cuiaba World Cup stadium have been quick to downplay suggestions that the venue is facing a race against time because of fire damage last October.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 17 – Twenty-four hours before the FIFA-imposed deadline for Curitiba’s World Cup stadium to meet completion requirements, tension is growing as to what, if any, contingency plans are in place for ditching the venue which is due to stage four group games.
February 14 – FIFA and local officials have dismissed reports that contingency plans are being made to move World Cup matches away from Curitiba if authorities there fail to meet a February 18 deadline for completing the stadium.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 12 – Steps by Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers to put in place improved conditions for migrant workers have been welcomed by FIFA but criticised by trade union officials despite being drawn up in conjunction with the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
February 11 – Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has condemned the latest violent protests against hikes in public transport fares as a news cameraman injured whilst covering last weekend’s demonstrations was declared brain dead after falling into a coma.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
February 11 – Twenty-four hours before a FIFA-imposed deadline to explain what steps are being taken for improving human rights, Qatar’s World Cup authorities have issued detailed and unprecedented guidelines which they hope will answer international condemnation of their treatment of migrant workers.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Television pictures of violent Rio demonstrations plus the accidental death of yet another stadium worker in the Amazon city of Manaus have heaped yet more unwanted publicity on Brazil’s World Cup organisers.