Mandela tributes as World Cup teams wait
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The World Cup draw for Brazil’s problem-plagued 2014 showpiece was to be staged in Costa do Sauipe later yesterday as the world mourned the death of Nelson Mandela.
The former South African president’s role in bringing the World Cup to Africa for the first time was remembered by FIFA President Sepp Blatter after Mandela’s death on Thursday.
“When he was honored and cheered by the crowd at Johannesburg’s Soccer City stadium on 11 July 2010, it was as a man of the people, a man of their hearts, and it was one of the most moving moments I have ever experienced,” Blatter reminisced.
“For him, the World Cup in South Africa truly was ‘a dream come true’.”
In Brazil meanwhile 32 teams anxiously waited their 2014 World Cup fate at the draw.
Yesterday’s lottery involved some complex juggling to separate as far as possible teams from the same continent.
But some of the eight groups will have to contain two European sides, with the continent having 13 of the 32 qualifiers.
The presence of all eight former champions — only surprise package Bosnia will be making its debut — could produce some ultra-tough groups.
Brazil could theoretically face two European former champions in the shape of, for example, France and Italy.
Also, the 32 teams will share a total fund of US$576 million, including a prize-money pot of US$358 million with the winner taking home US$35 million, FIFA said on Thursday.
The amount of money made available to the countries taking part has increased 37 per cent from the US$420 million on offer at the 2010 finals in South Africa. The winners’ prize money has gone up US$5 million.
The decision was announced by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke at a news conference following the two-day FIFA executive committee, which ended on Thursday.
The runner-up in Brazil next year will pocket US$25 million, while the third-placed team will take home US$22 million and the fourth-placed team US$20 million. The four teams eliminated in the quarterfinals will leave with US$14 million; teams in the last 16 will receive US$9 million; and those eliminated in the first round will get US$8 million.
In addition, each of the 32 finalists will receive US$1.5 million for their “preparation costs”, up US$500,000 on 2010.
“There will also be awards of US$70 million for the clubs whose players are taking part in the World Cup and, in addition to that, US$20 million will be given as a legacy to Brazilian football,” Valcke said. “We will not wait for the start of the World Cup for that, those payments will start immediately and will rise to US$100 million in the future.”
Valcke confirmed that the legacy money would be ploughed into grassroots football in Brazil as well as education and health projects linked to football in the country.
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