It was in England that the football was born but in Brazil where it lives in its richest and most natural form.
Brazil is the host country of the 20th FIFA World Cup, for the second time in history, once again after 64 years. The Football World Cup 1950 in Brazil was remembered after thrilling and dramatic ending with tragic consequences. In the last game of the tournament Uruguay won against the absolute favourite 2: 1 (0: 1) in front of 200,000 spectators! The defeat created despair for the whole nation – even about thirty self-murders were committed! Since that time the Brazilians are the only ones who have won five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) – and once again all roads take us to Maracana, that cult place of this populous country and the world’s football.
The first obstacle for the Selecao or Canaries – as the Brazilians are called – is just Croatia, at the opening game of the Mundial on 12 June in Sao Paulo. Already in the mere fact of the spectacular, universal event which are watched by a billion of people on TVs in about 600,000 households in 200 countries. Some fans think that more important from how Croatians will play that initial match with the host are the matches with two other competitors in the group: with Cameroon in Manaus on 19 June and with Mexico in Recife on 23 June.
