World Cup 2014 at Porto Alegre

One of the most anticipated events in the sporting world happens to be the FIFA World Cup, which is having its 20th edition this year. It is the biggest single-event sporting competition in the world and is held once every four years. Fans of the game across the globe follow the gaming action live, watch their favorite players vie for glory on the field and witness new records being set.

Brazil, which has won the title five times and are the only team to have qualified for every tournament since its start, will play host this year to the FIFA World Cup which begins on 12th June, 2014. Porto Alegre has been gearing up to host the FIFA World Cup 2014 ever since Brazil was declared as the host nation. From revamping its stadiums to upgrading its public utility services, they are leaving no stone unturned to give football fans a once in a lifetime experience.

The city has worn a festive look and going all out to impress one and all. The Estadio Beira-Rio stadium, which will be will be hosting five games, has undergone a complete makeover in preparation of the FIFA World Cup. Not only has the overall infrastructure of the stadium has been revamped to accommodate the teeming multitude of soccer fans, but an extra and creative metal roof has also been installed to cover the stands, ramps and the turnstile areas.

Live action station

The place where all the live action will take place starting 12th June, 2014, is the Estadio Beira-Rio. The stadium is located on the banks of the River Guaiba, and has a picture-postcard setting to it. Estadio Beira-Rio, which has saw many a scintillating derby matches and has also hosted four Copa Libertadores finals, is slated to host five games in the FIFA World Cup. The match that has excited everybody is the Round-of-16 tie. Beira-Rio has a seating capacity of 50,287, a number that was largely boosted due to the construction project that the stadium authorities undertook as a part of the revamping process. Being the largest football ground in southern Brazil, the Beira-Rio has some eye-catching support features as well. Furthermore, it has superb connectivity to ease smooth inflow and outflow of spectators at the time of the matches.

Weather during the World Cup

Porto Alegre has four very defined seasons and generally has a warm, humid temperate climate with hot summers and no dry season. Summer months have average temperatures ranging from 27ºC to 35ºC, with temperatures sometimes exceeding the 35ºC mark as well. Winters here are quite cold with records of subzero temperatures as well as heavy snow. But compared to the other capitals of Brazil, Porto Alegre has a milder climate with an annual average temperature of 19.5ºC. In the months of June-July (at the time of the World Cup), Porto Alegre is expected to have cool weather with temperatures hovering between 20-23ºC accompanied by calm to gentle breeze. Such weather conditions will not only be enjoyable for the live spectators at the stadium, but also for the players who will benefit from the absence of sweltering heat and humidity.

Games and their Dates for this city

Porto Alegre will play host to nine teams who will play a total of five matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Although the details are not known yet, what is known is that of the nine teams, one team will certainly play more than once. Even though Brazil is hosting this edition of the World Cup, the host team will not get a chance to play at the Estadio Beira-Rio at Porto Alegre.

By Sarbani Bhattacharjee