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ZURICH - Brazil, the only bidding country, were named as the host nation of the 2014 World Cup finals by world soccer's governing body Fifa today.
They become the fifth country to host two World Cups following Mexico (1970 and 1986), France (1938 and 1998), West Germany/Germany (1974 and 2006) and Italy (1934 and 1990).
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil who was present at Fifa house where the announcement was made said: "I would just like to say how happy I am to see Brazil's name on that card.
"Organising the World Cup is a huge task and we have far more responsibility weighing on our shoulders than when we arrived here. But we will organise a great World Cup and I am very happy."
Fifa president Sepp Blatter said that although there was only one candidate, Fifa still had a tough task in awarding the finals to Brazil.
"It was a real big challenge," he said, "there were the same list of responsibilities and the same conditions that had to be met as if there had been more candidates."
Brazil, who have won the World Cup a record five times and are the only country to have played in all 18 World Cup finals tournaments, last staged the event in 1950.
They become the first South American hosts since Argentina staged and won the 1978 World Cup finals.
Brazil were the only country nominated to bid for the World Cup by the South American confederation (CONMEBOL) whose turn it was to stage the finals after they were awarded to Europe (Germany) in 2006 and Africa (South Africa) in 2010.
Eighteen cities have bid to stage matches, and, according to the Fifa inspection report published last week, it is envisaged that between eight to 10 cities will host games.
However, the report, while giving the bid its blessing, says that none of the stadiums are currently up to Fifa safety standards for staging World Cup matches.
That includes the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, which held a world crowd of 199,000 for the 1950 final.
Brazil were the only contenders because of Fifa's policy of rotating World Cups through its six continental confederations, a strategy that was scrapped on Tuesday.
More than 160 Brazilian delegation members and media were in Zurich for the announcement including President Lula, Romario, a member of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning team, and Dunga, who captained the side in 1994 and is now the national coach.
Pele, however, who was in Brazil's winning World Cup teams of 1958 and 1970, was not with the delegation. He has not endorsed Brazil's World Cup hosting aspirations in the past.
Meanwhile, Germany have been named as the hosts of the 2011 women's World Cup, beating off a rival bid from Canada.
Some facts on Brazilian football:
* Brazil have won the World Cup a record five times, in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The 1970 team is considered to be one of the best teams the world has ever seen. Brazil have also been runner-ups twice - in 1950 and 1998.
* Football was introduced to Brazil in the 1890's by Charles Miller, the son of a Scottish expatriate railway engineer, who had played the game at school in Britain. The square outside Sao Paulo's municipal Pacaembu Stadium is named after him.
* Brazil's worst World Cup experience was their 2-1 defeat in the deciding match of the 1950 World Cup by Uruguay in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Uruguayans stunned the world record 199,000 in the stadium and millions across the country into silence. The event is known as the Maracanazo - the Maracana Blow.
* The Selecao, as the national team is known, adopted their famed strip of yellow shirts with green trim and blue shorts after the Maracanazo. They are the colours on the Brazilian flag.
Pele:
* Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. Born in 1940, he played for Santos from the age of 15, and won his first World Cup in 1958 at 17 when he was the youngest player to appear in a final.
- He was the star of the 1970 World Cup. He grew up in poverty and when he scored his 1,000th goal in 1969, he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil. One of the world's most recognisable sportsmen, he retired in 1977.
* Brazil never lost a match in the 40 games that Pele and wayward genius Garrincha played together in the national side.
- REUTERS
