Samba shame: The ugly truth behind the beautiful game

Away from the glitz and glamour of Costa do Sauipe, protests rage at the inequality encapsulated by the World Cup in Brazil — but few will listen to these grievances

Today, at lunchtime, Brazil slides the mask back over its fraught and frustrated face, turns its good side to the world and pretends everything is alright for a few hours. The location gives that much away. The hugely exclusive five-star Costa do Sauipe resort will host the World Cup draw but while just outside Salvador — one of the centres of the protests surrounding this tournament — proceedings will be out of the reach of the common man and away from his anger. The regular people of this country that have footed an astonishing bill for a five-week party are seen as a nuisance at its launch, as anyone on the guest list must be all smiles and positivity. And, of course, they must be all about the soccer.

According to Fifa’s own website: “This tourist hotspot on the Bahia coastline will host an event that will give 32 people plenty to worry about. We are speaking, of course, about the 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil final draw and its impact on the coaches of the 32 qualifying national sides.” The problem is that there’s not a word about the wider impact and what this tournament will give tens of millions of others to worry about, long after Fifa and its corporate partners have headed back home.