NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Murals reveal Brazil's mixed Cup emotions

By Jonathan Watts
Observer·
8 Jun, 2014 05:00 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A child walks by a mural of Brazil's player Hulk in the Ceilandia suburb of Brasilia. Photo / AP

A child walks by a mural of Brazil's player Hulk in the Ceilandia suburb of Brasilia. Photo / AP

On a flaking, whitewashed wall in central Rio, street artist Williams Aurelino is adding the final touches to a mural of the Brazilian soccer team.

The caricatures of the players are finished - a rakish Neymar, David Luiz with a frizzy mane, a green-skinned Hulk and, of course, the impressively unimpressed manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari. All that remains to be painted is the blue background and the shorts, socks and boots.

"It will be ready in time for the opening game," says the artist. "We'll have a party here, a big screen, a barbecue, lots of people. It's going to be fun."

That will be music to the ears of the World Cup's organisers who - after years of bad publicity about stadium delays, deaths of construction workers and cost overruns - are hoping Friday's kick-off will switch the focus to soccer.

The lower-middle-class neighbourhood of Gloria - where the mural is found - is certainly doing its bit. Here, the residents are gearing up for the football fiesta in traditional style. Bunting crisscrosses the street, flags adorn windows, and the stairs up the hill are painted green and yellow. But the enthusiasm is far from universal. Ten minutes' walk away, artists have painted two very different wall murals that highlight the problems of inequality, dangerous working conditions and forced relocations that have plagued the World Cup.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The first is of a giant, tarnished trophy made up of a slave straining on bended knee beneath the weight of an oversized football. The second depicts a soccer bulldozer pushing shanty-town homes aside to make way for a red carpet.

"We wanted to create a channel of expression for all the victims of the brutal evictions. We want to give these people and their sad stories a place in history and society," said B. Shanti, the artist who painted the mural.

The independent journalist collective Midia Ninja, which has also been highly critical of the World Cup preparations, is launching a new online platform in Rocinha, the biggest favela in Rio. Huge images and slogans on the side of it will be visible from many parts of Rio.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The images reflect the conflicted mood in Brazil towards a tournament that carries more than the usual weight of expectation and frustration.

Support for the Brazilian national team remains fanatical in this soccer- obsessed nation. The home fans are hoping a sixth trophy will lay to rest the ghosts of the 1950 defeat against Uruguay at the Maracana. The Government aims to show how far Brazil has developed economically, and President Dilma Rousseff will be hoping for success to set the scene for re-election in October.

But ever since mass protests during the Confederations Cup last year, public awareness of the social and economic costs of the tournament have made many uneasy about displays of enthusiasm. As compared with previous World Cups, public support is low. A poll by the Pew Research Centre suggests that 61 per cent of the public feel that hosting the World Cup was a bad idea, because it diverts resources that could be better spent on public services such as healthcare.

Everyone from Pele and Romario to the Catholic Church has criticised the expense and delays.

Discover more

Football World Cup

Soccer: Argentina likely, England maybe, Aussie ... no way

06 Jun 05:00 PM
Football

Soccer: Juniors bag Brazil point

07 Jun 04:33 AM
Football World Cup

Soccer: Earning air points easier than World Cup points

07 Jun 05:00 PM

Footballer-turned-congressman Romario has described the impact on state funds as "the biggest heist in the history of Brazil". Last week the bishops' conference issued a "red card" to the organisers for squandering public funds and evicting people for stadium construction.

"The church wants to contribute to the public debate and express its concern with ... the inversion of priorities in the use of public money that should go to health, education, basic sanitation, transportation and security," it said.

Although there has been no recent repeat of the mass protests seen last year, small-scale demonstrations against Fifa corruption and police brutality continue. A graffiti image that depicts a hungry black child sitting at a table with only a football to eat has gone viral. Other images mock unfinished infrastructure projects promised for the World Cup.

The UOL website reported that few shops and petrol stations were putting up bunting in Sao Paulo because they were worried it might make them the target of anti-World Cup protesters. The city has been gridlocked by a transport strike.

Fears of transport chaos throughout the tournament abound, despite government plans to give schools early holidays to ease congestion. Some are fleeing the host cities.

But those who remain are getting in the mood. One of the community organisers in Gloria, Valter Peixoto, acknowledges that elsewhere in Brazil the mood is not as joyful as before previous tournaments, but says the residents plan their own celebrations, come what may.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There is much less decoration than in the past. People are confused. The Government is stealing from the people through corruption. But what we are doing has nothing to do with them. It's for us. It's for the players."

- Observer

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

'Unfair deal': Mexico, EU slam Trump's new tariff threats

12 Jul 10:40 PM
World

Air India crash report is ‘cover-up’, say families of victims

12 Jul 10:38 PM
World

'Trauma no doubt': Survivor's incredible tale after missing 12 days

12 Jul 05:11 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

'Unfair deal': Mexico, EU slam Trump's new tariff threats

'Unfair deal': Mexico, EU slam Trump's new tariff threats

12 Jul 10:40 PM

Trump cited Mexico's role in drug flow and EU trade imbalance for tariffs.

Air India crash report is ‘cover-up’, say families of victims

Air India crash report is ‘cover-up’, say families of victims

12 Jul 10:38 PM
'Trauma no doubt': Survivor's incredible tale after missing 12 days

'Trauma no doubt': Survivor's incredible tale after missing 12 days

12 Jul 05:11 AM
38 killed in deadliest day of anti-Government protests in Kenya

38 killed in deadliest day of anti-Government protests in Kenya

12 Jul 04:31 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP