Brazil 2014: 10 Reasons It Will Be the Best World Cup Ever

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Brazil will host  the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup. It couldn't be a better scenario for 2014, since the cariocas have one of the most passionate fan bases, as well as a very successful football history.

It will also be the first time in 16 years that the American Continent will have the tournament back, the last time was USA 1994.

Legacy

Photo: Brazil Football Federation

Brazil is, without a doubt, one of the most passionate countries when it comes to football and it certainly has some of the best players in history. Consider Pelé, Sócrates, Tostao, Didi, Ronaldo, Zizinho, to name a few.

The last time a South American country was selected as the venue for the tournament was in 1978, when Argentina received the best teams of the planet.

Brazil will join Italy, France, Germany and Mexico as the only nations to have hosted two World Cups.

Revenge

Photo: Brazilian Football Federation

Who can forget the Maracanazo? It was 1950, Brazil was hosting its first World Cup and everything indicated that they were going to be the champions, but Uruguay came to the pitch with an attacking strategy.

Obdulio Varela, Uruguay's captain, encouraged his teammates to pee on a picture of Brazil's national team published by Brazilian newspaper O Mundo.

The Cariocas lost 2-1, one of the darkest episodes in Brazilian football. After 64 years, they may dream of conquering the World Cup at home.

History

Getty Images

Brazil is the most successful team when it comes to World Cups. They have won five of them: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. They've also been runner-ups twice in 1950 and 1998.

The Cariocas introduced Joga Bonito (which translates to "play beautifully"), a fluent style of game that includes dribbling skills and tricks.

Stadiums

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Brazil has some of the most legendary venues in world football, like Maracana Stadium, which will undergo a reconstruction of 500 million dollars according to FIFA.

The Brazilian Football Federation announced that the remodeling and construction costs will go as high as 1.1 billion dollars.

Maracana Stadium will be the only venue from the 1950 World Cup that will be used in 2014.

Young Guns

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

The 2014 World Cup will give us some of the best performances from young talents.

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Hernández, Wayne Rooney, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Nemanja Vidic, Pato, Cesc Fábregas, Xherdan Shaqiri, are just a few of the players that have already proven to be leaders in their teams.

If they keep up with the good work, we will certainly see them at their prime in a couple of years.

Veterans

Phil Cole/Getty Images

We will see the birth of a new generation of footballers, but we will also see the retirement of some veterans.

Perhaps players like Carles Puyol, Juan Sebastián Verón and Rafael Márquez will play their last World Cup before saying goodbye to soccer.

Fans

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

Let's face it, Brazil has some of the loudest fans in the world. They sing the classic, "Ole, ole, ole or Eu sou Brasileiro" (I'm Brazilian) constantly.

They support their team in any situation; they are very loyal and passionate!

... and Ambiance

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

If you think of other passionate supporters, such as English, Mexican, German and Argentinian, plus the fact that Brazil is a die-hard football country, you'll have a mix of the greatest fans in the world.  

Add some rhythm with the traditional samba, and you'll have quite a party in any stadium!

Tourism

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Beside football, Brazil offers a lot of options for tourists in the various host cities.

Manaus is located next to Amazon rain forest; Belo Horizonte offers the Natural History Museum; in Brasilia you can find Palàcio de Alvorada, the President's residence; Fortaleza has spectacular beaches with great weather, and Rio de Janeiro's nightlife is pretty wild.

Preview to the 2016 Olympics

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The 2014 World Cup has created a lot of expectations, there's no question. Brazilians need to make it better than any other edition.

Just two years after this event, the Olympics will take over the country. Of course the mood and ambiance will be at it's highest level, but it's not just those elements that the world needs from Brazil.

Safety can be an issue, so it will be a major task for the government and the police. According to BBC, security measures have already been put in action outside the favelas.