The World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte has revealed plans for its fan fest, which will show matches and a programme of other world class entertainment for a live audience of up to 21,000 people for free.

Belo Horizonte’s announcement is in sharp contrast to problems elsewhere in Brazil. 

Providing a fan fest is a contractual obligation for all FIFA World Cup host cities. FIFA is still waiting for confirmation about whether the host city of Recife will be able to fulfil its obligation to provide a fan fest during the World Cup. Funding for the project has yet to be confirmed.

Salvador might also have to break its obligation to provide a fan fest, for similar reasons. The Secretary of Ecopa Salvador, the municipal office responsible for World Cup activities there, admitted last week that fulfilling the Fan Fest depends on the outcome of continuing sponsorship negotiations.

Belo Horizonte is hosting six World Cup matches, including a semi-final on 8th July. Its fan fest will be open on all match days in Belo Horizonte and every weekend during the World Cup. 

The site, encompassing three pavilions and located in the city’s 16,000 sq m Expominas centre, will host more than 40 events during the World Cup tournament in a celebration of Brazilian music, entertainment and cuisine. 

The programme will feature a selection of famous Brazilian musicians including Daniela Mercury, with at least one major national artist will perform every day. ABRASEL, Brazil’s association of bars and restaurants, has partnered with the fan fest to provide high quality catering including local specialities.

The fan fest site will also host the media centre for accredited and non-accredited journalists, with 84 working stations, free wifi, televisions for transmission of the games and a direct view of the Belo Horizonte fan fest arena. 

Work stations and leisure space will also be provided for all volunteers taking part in the World Cup project. Embassies and consulates of national teams competing in the tournament will also have a dedicated area onsite.

“We have spent a lot of time looking at how we can deliver the best visitor experience for all of the football fans that will come to Belo Horizonte and we believe that they will have a fantastic time celebrating this festival of football at our FIFA fan fest,” said Camillo Fraga, Municipal Secretary for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Host City, Belo Horizonte.

“We have also invested in our local infrastructure to ensure that all of our visitors and residents will be able to move swiftly and safely from our fan fest site to the stadium and around our city. We cannot wait for this global football experience to start and welcoming fans from across the world to Belo Horizonte.”

The international media expresses prejudice within developed nations against the capacity of developing countries like Brazil to host global sports events, the country’s deputy sports minister said on Wednesday. 

Speaking at a press conference in response to a question from HOST CITY about the severe delays in Brazil’s preparations to host mega events, Luis Fernandes said “In sectors of the public opinion of richer countries, there is prejudice directed against developing countries and their capacity to deliver major global sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

“I’ll give you an example: We had a sad tragedy in the preparation for the World Cup in a city in Southern Brazil where there was a fire in a nightclub and in which a number of youngsters were killed. And sectors of the press, both international and national, took up that specific case to question Brazil’s capacity of organizing the World Cup and Olympic Games. 

“When similar accidents occurred in the UK, in France, in Russia, in China before hosting major global events, the same questioning or the same scepticism was not directed against those countries; so that is a prejudiced point of view from our perspective.”

HOST CITY asked if he thought that FIFA’s deadlines should be more lenient in certain countries where there may be a tendency for preparations to take longer. 

“We are not happy with whatever delays exist," Fernandes said. "It would have been better to have all World Cup stadiums delivered already by December 2013 so that we could, in sequence, test all aspects of operations of those stadiums throughout the first semester.

“We had two stadiums that were delivered late and that had more acute problems of delays; those were the stadiums in São Paulo and Curitiba, so that put extra pressure on our organizational capacity because we had to make a number of tests in parallel that would have been held easier and in a more calm fashion if they could have been done in sequence.”

Fernandes drew parallels with the Confederations Cup, preparations for which also ran behind schedule. “The same type of doubts or scepticism or prejudice also manifested itself with respect to the Confederations Cup, saying that Brazil wasn’t prepared to hold that event—and the event was a huge success.

“We also had stadiums that unfortunately were delivered late, but the operation was a success. So we already showed the world that we can organize such a competition efficiently and with success, although maybe, personally, the operational cost of organizing such an event is greater due to certain delays. 

“But our message is one of absolute confidence that we will have a spectacular World Cup here in Brazil starting two weeks on."

Manchester City star Yaya Toure got more than the hospital treatment he was visiting Doha for this week. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy made the most of the occasion, showcasing their plans for the 2022 World Cup tournament to the Ivorian midfielder.

“At Manchester City we talk about the World Cup in Qatar, but sometimes only because you hear very negative things,” Toure said. “If I’m honest, I had questions before I came to Qatar, especially about the weather. It is very hot and you ask yourself how it will be possible for players to play in this heat?”

The Supreme Committee welcomed the world-leading midfielder to the Legacy Pavilion – one of the venues that FIFA inspectors visited in 2010 before Qatar won the right to host the tournament. He was shown how stadiums will be cooled in environmentally-friendly ways and how and modular construction techniques will benefit developing countries after the tournament.

“Now that I have seen the plans and watched this amazing presentation, I have the answers. It is amazing,” Toure said.

“I didn’t understand the plans Qatar has. I didn’t know about the cooling technology or anything like this. I am so surprised. It has everything.

“I have played in the World Cup before. I am about to play in another one. I know what you need for this sort of tournament to be successful. Qatar looks like it has the plans to succeed.”

“For sure I will be telling my teammates about these plans because Qatar is planning to have everything. It’s fantastic.

After helping his team to win the English Premier League, Toure went to Doha’s Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for treatment on a minor injury. He joins the Ivory Coast national team in Dallas, Texas on Thursday to prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Toure hopes to still be playing by the time Qatar is hosting. “In 2022 I will be 40 and maybe that’s too old to play at a World Cup. I’m trying to work out how I can be involved because this is the future. It looks amazing.”

On 21-22 October, the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on the tropical island of Barbados will be the venue of the Soccerex Americas Forum. The event promises to connect the leading administrators and business figures within the Americas with their global counterparts.  

The confederation has plans for a Caribbean Premier League to emulate the success of Mexico's Liga MX, which recorded the fourth highest average attendance of any professional league in the world, and the MLS, which is set to add four new franchises over the next three years.

 “We are proud and privileged to be the host location for this year’s Soccerex Americas Forum,” said Petra Roach, interim president and CEO, Barbados Tourism Authority. 

“As a nation of sporting enthusiasts, we take football very seriously, and thus are delighted to be able to facilitate an event whereby the beautiful game is at the core of the discourse.”

Major events will be an important focus of the conference programme, with the 2016 Copa America and a potential CONCACAF 2026 World Cup bid high on the agenda. 

Sport tourism will also figure prominently, due to the region’s attractive climate and rich sporting culture. The conference programme will also cover league development and player development and retention.

The event will also feature a review of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with a number of footballing legends appearing.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “I am delighted that our first Americas Forum will be held in Barbados, a country with a huge sporting passion. It will provide a great location to start our time in the region and to continue our efforts of strengthening football business within the Americas.  With all the beautiful island has to offer, there isn’t a better backdrop to do business.”

For further details about the Soccerex Americas Forum, please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or email us on enquiry@soccerex.com. 

FIFA’s embattled president Sepp Blatter took the opportunity of addressing his organisation’s congress in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to speak up for integrity in football and highlight the universal reach of the sport. 

Standing firm in the eye of a storm over alleged corruption, Blatter said "These are important times for FIFA.

“We must lead by example and we must listen to all voices; we must be responsible and upright in all that we do; we must do the right thing even if that comes at a cost.

“We must carry the flame of responsibility and honesty and always with respect. If not, we will be a traitor to this game we all love.”

Calling on FIFA’s members to unite against prejudice, he said “We can defeat it and we have to do it. 

“Suspension and empty stadiums are not enough,” he said, warning that FIFA could expel, relegate or dock points from teams that are linked to discriminatory behaviour. 

Blatter’s hard line rhetoric on discrimination echoes remarks he made to the Confederation of African Football on Monday, when he described the latest wave of allegations of corruption as a "storm against FIFA".

His response to allegations made by the UK’s Sunday Times that FIFA Executive Committee members were bribed into voting was to say that the western media is prejudiced. 

"Sadly there's a great deal of discrimination and racism and this hurts me. It really makes me sad," he told the Confederation of African Football on Monday. 

This accusation riled the European football community further still, with UEFA executive committee members Michael van Praag and David Gill having called for Blatter’s resignation. 

However, Blatter is expected to announce later in the FIFA Congress that he will not step down in 2015, as he once stated, but that he will stand for a fifth term as president.

"Football is not just a game; it is a multi-billion dollar business. I don't know if that is good or not. It creates controversial situations and then some difficulties. In this changing world little is beyond the reach of politics and economics,” he said.

As for future of football, the boundaries are limitless. “We shall wonder if one day our game is played on another planet. Then we will have not only a World Cup we will have inter-planetary competitions. Why not?”

The Qatari government is set to sign up to $50bn in infrastructure contracts over the course of 2014, according to Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani. This represents a massive escalation in construction activity as the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws nearer.

The contracts will include transport and energy projects. A tender for phase one of the Doha Metro has already been issued, according to unnamed sources speaking to Reuters, with a contract expected to be signed by the end of August. 

The $50bn figure, announced by Sheikh Al-Thani at the Qatar Projects 2014 show organised by Meed Events, significantly exceeds previous estimates. Speaking a month before the event, Edmund O’ Sullivan, the chairman of Meed Events said contract awards for big infrastructure projects in Qatar in 2014 were “likely to hit $24bn”.

The recent upturn in spending follows a slow start to the world’s biggest infrastructure project. 

According to Reuters, state spending rose by just 2.2 per cent in the year up to March 2013, while a government report projects state spending to rise by 11.6 per cent in 2014.

"Even with Qatar's means and ambitions, the resources of time, space and human capital are not endless, especially when concentrated on a mere 10 per cent of its soil,” Tilman Engel, managing director of Sport Business Consulting International told HOST CITY. 

Engel advised and directed the Qatar professional football league from 2007 to 2009, during their process of reorganisation and professionalisation in line with AFC and FIFA directives. “Given the enormity of both the World Cup and the National Vision 2030, it is no day too soon for Qatar to launch the projects key to make both visions work."

Infrastructure projects in Qatar accelerated over the course of 2013, overtaking the UAE midway through the year with $12.2bn of contracts awarded, said O’Sullivan. “The bulk… came from the multi-billion-dollar tunnelling packages awarded as part of the Doha metro project.”

On winning the host city election for the 2022 World Cup in 2010, Qatar stated that it would spend $140bn on civic and sporting infrastructure. This figure was soon upgraded, with a report by Deloitte in September 2013 stating that Qatar plans to spend $140bn over the next five years on transport alone.

$200bn is due to be spent over the next 10 years on construction. A further $20bn is to be spent on tourism infrastructure to prepare for the influx of football fans, the Deloitte report said. Since then, an investment of $45bn into tourism by 2030 has been announced.

Delays and uncertainty over World Cup stadiums have motivated FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke to make a special visit to Rio de Janeiro  from 24 to 27 March, bringing an early end to a technical tour of host cities that began on Thursday 20 March.

“Any envisaged on-site host city visits will be rescheduled to the next tour planned for the end of April,” said FIFA in a statement. 

Concerned about overlay projects and three unfinished stadiums, Valcke is travelling to Rio de Janeiro for a series of meetings. The visit culminates in a board meeting of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and media briefing at the Maracana Stadium.

“This is the last occasion for the organizers to take stock of the operational preparations before the respective FIFA World Cup installations begin to be implemented in all 12 host cities,” said FIFA.

The LOC is currently taking FIFA’s technical experts on a tour of stadiums in Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Cuiaba, Manaus and Natal – the six venues that did not feature in last year’s Confederations Cup. The tour was due to conclude in Natal on 26th March after a visit to Manaus on 24th March, but these two site visits now look set to be postponed to April.

“This inspection tour will be fundamental to consolidate operational plans and for each area to confirm the operations they have planned over the last few years,” said LOC Stadiums Operations Manager Tiago Paes.

The tour involves LOC and FIFA representatives from the areas of competition, press operations, broadcasting, protocol, communications, IT, spectator services, security, medical services, transport, catering, volunteers, hospitality and stadiums operations.

FIFA had originally requested that all venues be finished by December 2013, but three remain under construction. Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo and Curitiba's Arena da Baixada are now unlikely to be finished until the middle of May – just a month before the opening match in Sao Paulo. Cuaiba’s Arena Pantanal is due to open in April. 

The pitch at Manaus is also undergoing emergency repairs after the turf was damaged by excessive use of fertilizer. Manaus hosts England and Italy’s first World Cup fixture.

Valcke has reportedly voiced concerns about responsibility for temporary infrastructure. Local newspaper Estado de Sao Paulo said Valcke is concerned that some cities are refusing to pay for temporary items such as security equipment and temporary structures for media, volunteers and sponsors, causing delays to overlay works.

As Qatar works towards the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Qatar National Vision 2030, international interest in the country continues to grow. This is reflected by Project Qatar 2014, to which 2,100 companies from 47 countries expected to attend. 

A total of 24 countries are setting up international pavilions at Project Qatar 2014, the International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition, which takes place on 12-15 May at the Qatar National Convention Centre. 

Three of these countries – Indonesia, Palestine and Romania – are taking pavilions to the event for the first time, reflecting the desire of growing markets to get involved in the construction industry in Qatar. 

More established countries taking international pavilions include major event hosts Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

“The international pavilions have been fundamental to the success of Project Qatar, which has a long history of attracting many global exhibitors and visitors. The pavilions offer international exhibitors a central platform to showcase their expertise, products and services,” said Rawad Sleem, Project Manager, Project Qatar.

“The participation of all these international pavilions demonstrates their recognition of the importance and commercial value of partnering with Project Qatar 2014, positioning their nations in Qatar amongst key global leaders in a market experiencing world leading exponential growth in infrastructure, building and construction.”

Francois Sporrer, French Trade Commissioner, Director of UBIFRANCE Middle East said, “There are many construction and infrastructure projects in Qatar, in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. In 2014, US$40 billion are going to be invested in various projects in this booming market. Project Qatar 2014 is definitely the place to be which is why the French pavilion, organised by UBIFRANCE, will gather nearly 30 French companies offering various state of the art technologies and French know-how for the building industry. Some of these companies are already active in the Qatari market and a number of others are looking forward to Project Qatar 2014 to network with partners and distributors.

Three of FIFA’s most influential figures voiced concerns at Soccerex Global Convention about the media crisis that has engulfed football’s governing body in recent times, expressing a need for action to counter negative perceptions. 

Quizzed by Soccerex consultant David Davies about the impact of the ongoing media allegations about FIFA’s affairs, in a panel discussion entitled “A Word from the Wise”, FIFA Executive Committee Member Michel D’Hooghe said “I think we must be very honest and say that this has been very damaging for the reputation of FIFA.

“Although FIFA does many good things, these things never appear in the media. It’s the bad things that give, for the moment, FIFA a bad reputation.”

And according to Jim Boyce, Vice President of FIFA, the press is not the only source of negative attacks. “We are not only talking about the English press – the FA have come out and made certain statements regarding FIFA” said the Northern Irish ExCo member.

“There is a perception that when England lost the bid, that’s when most of the adverse criticism started. Some of the criticism is entirely justified, but an awful lot is not entirely justified.

“There are a lot of good people in FIFA – they shouldn’t all be tarnished with the same image. I am proud to finish my career as being Vice President of FIFA.”

The challenge for FIFA is to communicate its positive contributions to the world. “I am not blaming the media; I think we have to blame ourselves,” said D’Hooghe. 

“We need to have better communication of the good things that FIFA is doing. Do you hear about 20 centres for hope? Do you hear about restoration of sports facilities after the tsunami? 75 per cent of all FIFA funding goes back into infrastructure.

“Whoever is or will be president, this will be one of his first obligations: to restore confidence in FIFA, to prove to the world that FIFA wants to good for people all over the world. We are promoting football for health to youth in many countries. 

Another major priority is to tackle the issue of transparency. “We are challenging transparency and integrity, to restore confidence in FIFA, to prove to people that FIFA wants to good,” said D’Hooghe.

Also on the panel was Moya Dodd, who joined FIFA’s Executive Committee in 2013. “I get people asking me how it feels to be part of the problem now I’ve joined the FIFA ExCo,” she said. “It’s difficult for people from outside it to understand how it works.

“What’s important is that the leadership of any organisation at board level is independent from the day-to-day flow of interests that tend to make decision-making difficult.”

[Source: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy] Qatar reached yet another FIFA World Cup™ milestone on Friday night when Al Thumama Stadium became the sixth tournament-ready venue to be inaugurated.
The stadium follows Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Education City, Ahmad Bin Ali and Al Bayt in being declared ready to host matches during the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup™, which will kick off on 21 November 2022. Al Thumama’s inauguration ceremony took place prior to the Amir Cup Final, which was won by Al Sadd, who defeated Al Rayyan 5-4 on penalties after the match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. The match was held in the presence of His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar.
H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, President of the Qatar Football Association, congratulated the Al Sadd board of directors, technical and administrative staff, players and fans for winning the 49th Amir Cup.
Sheikh Hamad said: “Qatar has been a pioneer in hosting major football matches during the pandemic. The inauguration of Al Thumama marks yet another milestone on the road to 2022 and the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world, while providing another opportunity to welcome fans back to the stands as we continue to overcome COVID-19.
“I would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone in the medical sector for their outstanding efforts over the past two seasons. With their support, we have been able to host a capacity crowd for this evening’s final and send a strong message to the world that we are overcoming this pandemic.”
H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: “We are incredibly proud to have inaugurated the sixth tournament-ready stadium ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup. Al Thumama is a very special venue for everyone in Qatar. It pays tribute to an important piece of clothing that is proudly worn by men and boys across the Arab world and its unique design showcases the talent and innovation of our people.”
Al Thawadi continued: “We are now within touching distance of the World Cup. Soon we will pass the one year to go milestone and host the FIFA Arab Cup – which will give us a major opportunity to test all our plans for Qatar 2022. We stand ready and prepared to host a memorable World Cup for the benefit of Qatar, the region and the world.”
Nasser Al Khater, CEO, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, described Al Thumama’s inauguration as another important step on the road to 2022.
“The milestones are coming thick and fast as we get ever closer to the World Cup,” said Al Khater. “The inauguration of Al Thumama is another important step as we ramp up preparations for the biggest sporting event ever to be held in our country and region. We look forward to inaugurating Al Bayt and Ras Abu Aboud before the end of the year, with our eighth and final stadium, Lusail, set to be launched in 2022.”
The 40,000-capacity Al Thumama will host matches during the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup™, which will take place in Qatar from 30 November to 18 December. It will then host eight matches during the FIFA World Cup™ up to the quarter-finals stage. Designed to resemble the ‘gahfiya’ head cap worn by men and boys across the Arab world, Al Thumama was designed by Ibrahim M. Jaidah, who is the first Qatari architect to design a FIFA World Cup™ stadium.
Al Khater said many important lessons were learned during the lead-up to Al Thumama’s inauguration.
“Every major match we organise helps us to fine-tune our plans for 2022,” said Al Khater. “The FIFA Arab Cup – involving 16 national teams from across the region – is yet another golden opportunity to test all our functional areas. In relation to the Amir Cup specifically, we will compile a vast number of lessons learned in the coming days and weeks, particularly in relation to ticketing, Fan ID, travel, health and safety, and others. Every event we organise between now and the World Cup is an opportunity to test our readiness and confirm our plans for the tournament.”