
Argentina-Brazil Rivalry Too Hot for Brotherhood
This World Cup has seen Latin American soccer fans cheering for each others’ teams. Not Argentines and Brazilians, whose rivalry remains stubbornly in place. Quarrels between fans of South America’s two biggest countries have broken out in stadiums as supporters taunt each other. Police intervened in Belo Horizonte where Argentina fans and host Brazil threw […]
Hearts, Minds and Bottom Lines
Whether it is Brazil’s five World Cup triumphs, Cuba’s Olympic boxing gold medals, the West Indies’ global dominance of test cricket in the 1970s and 1980s, or Argentina’s World Cup victories in 1978 and 1986, the passion for sports stretches across the Americas. For fans around the region, sports serve as an escape from their […]
Does hosting sporting events promote social and economic development?
In Rio de Janeiro, a fierce debate over preparations for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics is under way. Brazilians are proud to have been chosen to host these important sporting events and to have the world’s attention. But they reasonably worry that both competitions may end up being a bonanza for […]