BRAZIL 2014: Why ‘transfers’ are part of the World Cup

Brazil’s President Dilma Roussef vowed that her country is ready to host the most trouble-plagued World Cup in history from today as she confronted public anger at the multi-billion-dollar price tag.

What better platform to make a statement than one watched by billions around the planet?

Chelsea midfielder Oscar put the seal on the win with a late strike from distance to trigger delirium.

I continue to miss the games but as with everything good that must come to an end, here are the last few lessons from the game of football 2014.

As the games came to an end and the world got a new champion to lift the trophy, personal battles and public controversies were played out for all to see. Here are more lessons I learnt from the just ended world cup games.

>The pretenders are gone. The 16 teams remaining in Brazil are the best sides in the world, the outstanding sides left in what is shaping up to be a tournament for the ages.

President Dilma Rousseff: “I hear and respect those opinions but I don’t agree with them. It is a false dilemma” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff says her country is ready, on and off the pitch, for the football World Cup which starts on Thursday. In a TV address, she said “the pessimists” had been defeated by the determination of the Brazilian people. She rejected criticism of overspending, saying that the tournament would leave a lasting legacy of infrastructure. Brazil has seen a year...

>Uruguay star Luis Suarez was suspended for nine matches for biting an opponent yesterday as World Cup chiefs struck back with the heaviest sanction against a player in the tournament’s history.

There were fears of mass protests, unfinished stadiums and rampant crime, but a week into the World Cup, there is a carnival atmosphere in Brazil and the worst doubts have largely dissipated.