Brazil; officially known as federative republic of
Brazil is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. It is one of the most beautiful and vibrant countries in the world, and has become one of the most visited in South America. Visitors to the country have much to do and see; from the mysterious wilderness of the Amazon to a rugged coastline,
Brazil is such a diverse and unique country. The country is famous for its football tradition and its annual carnival. Football is the most popular sport in
Brazil and the national team is ranked among the best in the world in the FIFA world rankings, since they have won the World Cup a record five times.
Brazil is the host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be held between 12th of June and 13th of July, and this is the country’s second time hosting this event. 32 countries will be participating, playing a total of 64 matches in 12 cities across Brazil. An estimated 500,000 football fans are said to attend the World Cup from around the world. The government of
Brazil will issue a special visa for spectators and participants free of charge. This is a temporary visa lasting only for the duration of the game.
Muslims planning on attending the FIFA World Cup need not worry about finding adequate Muslim-friendly facilities as there are numerous
mosques spread across the country for Muslim fans to offer their prayers in, and
halal restaurants may not be hard to find as the country is home to a sizeable Muslim population consisting mainly of Middle Eastern immigrants. Muslim football fans can also download an app which has been created by the Federation of Muslim Association in Brazil (FAMBRAS), especially to help visitors during the World Cup to find the nearest mosque and for prayer times, and it also includes a compass to show the qibla direction.
FIFA has chosen 12 cities to host the World Cup, these cities are scattered around various regions of the country and is home to a diverse array of attractions and activities. Most of these cities have built new arenas and stadiums, while other existing stadiums have been remodeled. The chosen cities are
Belo Horizonte, Cuiaba,
Brasilia,
Curitiba,
Fortaleza,
Manaus,
Natal, Porto Alegre,
Sao Paulo,
Salvador,
Recife and
Rio de Janeiro. Each of these cities will host four to five matches each in the qualifying rounds while a few others will host six to seven matches including the quarter finals, semi finals and the final. The final will be played in Rio de Janeiro, in the Maracana Stadium. This stadium is considered to be the temple of football in Brazil as it was built for the 1950 World Cup when Brazil hosted the event for the first time. This stadium has been recently modernized and will host the final again. Rio de Janiero known famously as Rio is the most popular tourist destination in the country; with its beautiful sandy beaches and many famous monuments. The city has a lot to offer its many visitors who will be traveling to the city for the upcoming World Cup.
When it comes to transport within Brazil, the country is connected by good air service with many domestic airports. This would be convenient for those traveling from city to city during FIFA. The metro is also a good option for visitors to get about within the city and it is the fastest way to get to where you need to be. Muslim travelers looking to find mosques to offer their prayer need not worry as each of the 12 host cities do have mosques. However finding halal food may not be as easy. Brazil has only a few restaurants which have been certified halal. Muslims could make inquiries in mosques or even use the special app to find halal food. The app provides users a phone number which could be called for inquiries. The FIFA World Cup in Brazil will be an amazing experience that most fans would love to be a part of, so if you have the chance to travel to Brazil for this much awaited event then do so and enjoy the game, the atmosphere and the fascinating country of Brazil!
