Latin America

The PGA Tour is to launch a development series in Latin America in an attempt to build on the momentum of golf’s introduction to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

FIFA confirmed on Thursday that a new 65,000-seat stadium in Sao Paulo would stage the opening match and ceremony of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil while Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana venue would host the final of the tournament.

FIFA senior vice-president Julio Grondona has been unanimously re-elected as president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) despite a series of recent negative headlines.

Organisers of the Rio 2016 Olympics have launched an international tender to select a golf course design to mark the introduction of the sport to the Games.

Maggie Sanchez has left her role as chief commercial and marketing officer of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro due to an apparent disagreement over strategy, according to Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the president of the Games’ local organising committee.

Mexican authorities ramped up security measures to protect athletes as the Pan American Games in Guadalajara got under way with a colourful opening ceremony on Friday.

Nizan Guanaes, chairman of Grupo ABC, will join a special panel discussing the role of agencies in sport at next month’s Soccerex Global Convention.

Chuck Blazer, the FIFA Executive Committee member who played a key role in exposing apparent corruption at the heart of global football administration earlier this year, is to resign as secretary general of the Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF).

Soccerex has announced three high-profile additions to its ‘Great Football Debate’ at next month’s Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian Sports Minister Orlando Silva confirmed on Thursday that four cities are in the running to host the opening ceremony and match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Salvador vying for the high-profile game.

Julio Grondona’s status as the head of Argentine football has come under threat for the first time in years with Velez Sarsfield president Fernando Raffaini stating his intention to run for the presidency of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

Caracol Television has snapped up the terrestrial television and radio rights within Colombia for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Soccerex has announced that Hublot CEO Jean-Claude Biver will be speaking on the ‘Football Brands the World’ panel at this year’s Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro has abandoned plans to launch an ‘Olympic bonds’ scheme worth US$2 billion after municipal Olympic company president Maria Silvia Bastos Marques insisted the city does not need foreign funding to host the 2016 Games.

Soccerex has signed up Brazil’s rising star Neymar as its ambassador ahead of this year’s Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian politicians are remaining optimistic that the country will stage a successful FIFA World Cup despite the publication of a report outlining concerns over pace of preparations.