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2014 FIFA World Cup

Colorful ceremony opens 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil’s Sao Paulo

The official song of the World Cup, We Are One, was performed by US singer Jennifer Lopez, US-Cuban rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte

SAO PAULO (Brazil), June 13, ITAR-TASS/. A solemn ceremony has opened the 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Arena Corinthians stadium in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo. About a thousand performing artists, who depicted Brazil’s history and culture from the earliest times to modern days in a colorful show, took part in the ceremony.

The official song of the World Cup, We Are One, was performed by US singer Jennifer Lopez, US-Cuban rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte.

At the last moment, the ceremony’s program was changed. International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Joseph Blatter and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff refused to deliver speeches in order to avoid discontent and booing from the public, as it happened during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Instead, they just released pigeons without entering the soccer field.

Read also

World Cup 2014 to start in Brazil

Some Brazilians are discontent with the amount of spending on hosting the World Cup.

Fans gave the short ceremony a rather cool reception. It was probably connected with peculiarities of the stadium’s architecture - it is not fully closed, and music came to viewers in the form of a mix of sounds.

In an opening match of the tournament, hosts Brazil are currently playing Croatia.

The World Cup will end July 13.

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