Brazilian Government Supports the Poor in World Cup

The Brazilian government will hand out free tickets to the country's poor and indigenous people for the 2014 World Cup finals and expect to do the same for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The host nation has already won concessions from Fifa over allowing students and pensioners half-price tickets but is determined to take that a step further.

Brazil’s Sports minister Aldo Rebelo, said yesterday “I’m not expecting Fifa to support the proposal I’m just going to make it happen”. "This is extremely important, I cannot help organise the largest football party in the world without being concerned with the people who are poor and indigenous in my country."

Tickets for the finals, the first in Brazil since 1950, go on sale next year with Fifa still to determine the pricing.

"We not only want cheaper tickets we want free tickets as well," Rebelo said yesterday. "We are going to have free tickets for a representation of the indigenous populations and also for those that receive benefit. These people cannot afford to pay anything and it would be bad for Fifa and Brazil to hold a World Cup with all the very poor people absent."

Rebelo also suggested ticket prices for foreign supporters will be cheaper than previous World Cups to offset the amount and cost of travelling involved. He meets Sepp Blatter and other senior Fifa figures in Zurich today but it has been a troubled relationship as Fifa have been critical of Brazil's preparations. Earlier this year Jerome Valcke angered the hosts by suggesting they "needed a kick up the backside".