For many, the football is almost secondary to the World Cup, as it seen as the opportunity to get away from the stresses and strains of ordinary life and build in a summer break, regardless of whether or not you can get your hands on a coveted match ticket.
Thousands of people will be descending on the host cities during summer 2014, largely to soak up the party atmosphere and enjoy the tumultuous ride, as each country competes for glory. It has been estimated that to get the stadiums ready for action, Brazil will have to invest at least £550 million. Additionally, millions more is expected to be spent on general improvements to transport and infrastructure across the nation. A £4.1 billion high-speed rail network is being developed as a direct result of the successful World Cup bid, but delays have meant that this project is now not expected to be completed until 2016.
With an expected 500,000 World Cup travellers expected to make the trip to Brazil in 2014 and each one taking an average of 6-14 flights each as they follow the action from stadium to stadium, the country is also beginning a £2 billion airport upgrade programme, focusing primarily on São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro airports. This is to maximise the comfort and ease for passengers, as well as putting Brazil at the forefront of sports travel tourism.