Research Questions/Intro

There were many memorable moments about the 2014 Men’s World in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.  It had everything you could ask for: superstar athletes, stunning goals, unforgettable matches, perfect weather, dramatic finishes, and they all took place at some of the prettiest soccer stadiums in the world.  But what often times is forgotten is what it took to build these world class stadiums.  About 80,000 people were displaced from homes just for these stadiums to be built in time for the World Cup.  That leads me to my main question, what happened to the people that were displaced due to the construction of new stadiums for the 2014 Rio World Cup?

Narrative/Overview

By 2011, Brazil’s preparation to host the 2014 Men’s World Cup had begun, which included the construction of 12 brand new, start of the art stadiums.  However, this was also the beginning of hardships for the people living in the slums of Rio De Janeiro, also known as the favelas.  The homes in the favelas are shacks that are usually made from wood, red brick, or sheet metal.  Many of the residents have built these homes themselves in impoverished areas of Rio and had previously lived in these homes for several years.  Eomar Freitas, a 35-year-old man lives in a 4-story shack that be built and has lived there for over 20 years, not too far from where the Maracanã stadium was built.  Many of the homes around his were demolished in order to help revamp the city’s infrastructure in time for the 2014 World Cup.  Freitas states, “it looks like you are in Iraq or Libya”, as he describes the aftermath of the demolition that has happened around him.  The favelas that were torn down had been there since the 1970s and housed around 1,000 Brazilians.    

Primary Sources Annotated Bibliography

 

Secondary Sources Annotated Bibliography

“Fifa Wasn’t Going to Let Favelas Ruin a Wonderful World Cup.” The Independent, 4 July 2014, https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/fifa-wasn-t-going-to-let-favelas-ruin-a-wonderful-world-cup-it-just-bulldozed-them-instead-9582749.html.
 
Herzog, Katie. “What Will Happen to Rio’s Stadiums after the Olympics End?” Vox, 21 Aug. 2016, https://www.vox.com/2016/8/21/12562770/rio-olympics-2016-stadiums.
 
How Many Stadiums Did Brazil Build for World Cup? – TeachersCollegesj. https://teacherscollegesj.org/how-many-stadiums-did-brazil-build-for-world-cup/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
 
“One Year after Rio: What’s Left behind after the Flame Goes Out.” ESPN.Com, https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/20292414/the-reality-post-olympic-rio. Accessed 15 Dec. 2022.
 
Phillips, Tom. “Rio World Cup Demolitions Leave Favela Families Trapped in Ghost Town.” The Guardian, 26 Apr. 2011. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/26/favela-ghost-town-rio-world-cup.
 

Glossary