FIFA President Sepp Blatter. (Reuters)
The winner of the Brazil 2014 World Cup is set to get 35 million dollars in prize money, FIFA said yesterday.
The runner-up is to get 25 million dollars, while the third-placed team gets 22 million and the fourth-placed side gets 20 million. Quarter-finalists will get 14 million dollars, while teams that reach the round-of-16 will get 9 million and those eliminated in the group stage will get 8 million.
FIFA also increased by 50 per cent, to 1.5 million dollars per team compared to the 1 million dollars per team of South Africa 2010, the amount of money that participants get from FIFA for their World Cup preparations.
The total contributions to participants were increased to 576 million dollars, up 37 per cent with relation to the total of 420 million dollars in South Africa 2010.
Of these, 70 million dollars will be distributed among the clubs (most of them European) whose players take part in the World Cup while on national team duty.
FIFA officials were also keen to highlight their contribution to Brazil, and in fact stepped up the creation of a legacy fund in the World Cup’s host country.
FIFA president Joseph Blatter said yesterday that the trust would be endowed with 20 million dollars, which he expects to rise to over 100 million dollars by the end of the World Cup.
“The idea is that instead of doing it after the World Cup we are opening it immediately,” Valcke said.
He stressed, however, that the formal structure of such a fund was still being discussed with Brazilian authorities. “Is it a foundation? Is it a trust? That will be seen,” he said.
The anticipation of FIFA’s financial contribution to Brazilian football and society comes after a wave of protests that shook the country during the Confederations Cup in June.
Millions of demonstrators across Brazil complained about excessive public spending in stadiums and other World Cup facilities and demanded that such funds got to improvements in health, education, transport and other public services instead.
2017 U-17 WC in India
Blatter also confirmed that India will host the Under-17 World Cup in 2017.
Eight venues are in the running for the tournament’s shortlist of six—Goa, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati.
Sao Paulo venue delay
The Sao Paulo stadium scheduled to host the opening match of the World Cup but scene of a fatal accident last week will be ready in April, Blatter said.
“We have received information it should be ready in mid-April,” Blatter told a press conference at today’s draw venue in Costa do Sauipe, northeastern Brazil. “For the time being there is no Plan B,” he added.
The Arena Corinthians stadium was the scene last week of an accident which killed two construction workers after a crane bearing a final piece of roofing fell onto the stands, bringing down a section.
The fatal accident was the third to occur at World Cup venues in Brazil, which is racing against the clock to get 12 venues ready for an event that kicks off on June 12. A police investigation into the Sao Paulo incident continues but Blatter said he was confident the venue—one of three running behind schedule—will be ready on time.
“We believe it is a question of trust. It will be done,” Blatter said, adding he prayed that “no more accident will arise in connection with the World Cup.”
He added the cause of the accident remained under investigation amid media reports that workers feared the crane was on ground rendered unstable by recent heavy rain.
